LEAVITTSBURG — Ronald George Clark, 85, passed away Sunday, July 30, 2023, at home, with his wife, daughter and grandchild at his side. He passed of complications of a hereditary heart disease.
He was born at home, in Bolindale, on Feb. 22, 1938, the son of Kenneth R. and Mildred Eras Clark.
The family moved to Greene Township in 1947, where he attended school and was a member of the Class of 1956. From 1956 to 1966, he worked at Van Huffel Tube, and then for 33 years, from 1966 until his retirement in 2000, he worked at Control Transformer of Cortland.
Ronald was secretary of the Cortland Monday Nite “B” Bowling League, for many years. He was the Cleveland Indians No. 1 Fan. He had followed the “Tribe” since 1947. He could tell you their daily statistics while in school and for many years after that. He would travel to spring training in Tucson, Ariz., then Florida and finally, Goodyear, Ariz., to be with the “Tribe” for a week each year. He played baseball while in school and in 1956, was offered a tryout with the N.Y. Giants (at that time, the Giants were part of the pro baseball league). He turned them down because they were not the Cleveland Indians!
His dream was to follow third basemen, Al “Flip” Rosen when he retired from the Cleveland Indians. He didn’t get that chance. However, in 1998, he was gifted a trip to Cleveland Indians Fantasy Camp, where he was on Jeff and Dale Torborg’s team, ‘“TNT!’ They took the championship with a 7-0 record and he was able to play in the “special” game against the pro baseball players, where he got a hit off of Cleveland Indians Hall of Famer, Bob Feller. And, in the ninth inning, he made the catch for the second out and threw the ball to get the third out to end the game, for a win for TNT.
Ronald leaves his wife, MaryGrace Murray Clark, whom he married Aug. 23, 1969. He also leaves behind his daughter, Catherine Marie Clark; grandchildren, Des and Andy; one sister; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Dorothy Jakubec, Barbara Davis, and baby, Jane; five brothers; and several nieces and nephews.
Per Ron’s request, a private funeral service and burial has already taken place.
Carl W. Hall Funeral Home assisted with the arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution, in his memory, to the Cleveland Clinic, to further genetic and heart failure research, led by Wai Hong Wilson Tang MD. Checks can be made to “Cleveland Clinic Foundation” and mailed to Cleveland Clinic Foundation, in memory of Ronald Clark, PO Box 931517, Cleveland, OH 44193-1655.
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