Funeral services for Royce Clark, 86, of Portales, will be at 2:00 PM, Fri., June 2, 2017 at Emmanuel Baptist Church with Rev. David Taylor officiating. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Steve Collins, Tres Hernandez, Mark McAfee, Jimmy Roberts, Leon Nall, Clovis Gray, Steve Davis and Miguel Barrera serving as pallbearers. Roy Rackler, Dale Givens, Kenneth Clark, Odell Clark, and George Combs along with Wade Rutter and the employees of Big Valley Ford will be honorary pallbearers.Those desiring to make memorial contributions may send them to Make A Wish Foundation, 144 Louisiana Blvd, NE Albuquerque, NM 87108 or by credit card at www.wheelermortuary.net.
Leo Royce Clark, known to everyone as Royce, was born June 13, 1930 in Shady Point, OK to the home of Leo Gertrude (Neal) and Toney Clark and died May 27, 2017 in Lubbock, TX. Royce graduated from high school in Bokoshe, OK as the Salutatorian of the class of 1948. Following his graduation, he moved to Borger, TX where he took a job as a parts boy at the local Ford dealership. Royce worked in virtually every position but general manager in Ford dealerships for the next 65 years. His favorite job was as a car salesman. On July 16, 1950 in Weatherford, TX, he was married to Fern Yates. The Clarks made their home in Borger until 1962, when they moved to Amarillo. In 1991, they moved to Portales.
Royce was a devoted Christian man. He was a member of the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Portales, where he served as a deacon. He had also served as a deacon in previous congregations in Amarillo. Royce enjoyed woodworking and gardening.
He is survived by Fern, his wife of nearly 67 years; a son, Toney Clark of Nixa, MO; his daughter-in-law, Ann Clark of Lubbock, TX; two grandchildren, Abbey Jaimasen and Tres (Joy) Hernandez; a great-grandchild, Zoe Hernandez; a brother, Odell Clark of Spiro, OK; and a sister, Linda Scott of Tahlequah, OK. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother and sister-in-law, Neal and Pat Clark and two daughters, Carolyn Ann Clark, who died as an infant and Brenda Hernandez.
