William Gardner Clark

William (Bill) Gardner Clark: Teacher, Woodworker, Sailor, Musician, (bagpipes, fiddle, trumpet) Archer, Marksman, Fly Fisherman, Calligrapher. At some points, student of dairy farming, and of Japanese joinery, culture, cooking, and language.

Notably, champion of his students. Bill died Sunday, May 12, 2024, of Alzheimer’s Disease. He was born January 30, 1938, at Hamot Hospital, Erie, PA, along with his twin brother Curtis Barlow, who predeceases him. He is also predeceased by his parents, Helen Marie Reichert and Walter Vaughn Clark, and cousins Peter and Phillip Halsey. His wife of 57 years, Bonnie Lynn Hoff Clark, and children, Jennifer Anne Clark Stephens, Joel Curtis Clark, granddaughters Haylee Clark (George Lebrun), Emily Clark (Jake Graham), Elyse Clark, and great-granddaughter, Lillianna Rosemary Lebrun, survive him.

Bill taught his students about American History and the Constitution at Wilson Central High School, in Wilson, NY for 31 years. As a teacher, he was devoted to his students, never ceasing to boast about their goodness and diligence. He also studied the bagpipes and was a member of the Caledonian Pipes and Drums in Buffalo, NY.

An avid sailor, he enjoyed navigating his Lightning Sailboat on Lake Erie and its bay, his Cape Cod Catboat, and his Whitehall pulling boat on Lake Ontario and its harbor. His company was easily enjoyed by many, but none more so than by his longtime friend and colleague, Alex Dobrasz, of Lewiston, NY. They shared many adventures on land and water.

In Brevard, where he and Bonnie retired, he was a piper with the Montreat Scottish Pipes and Drums. He taught bagpipes as he had learned to play them, passing along an ancient tradition, earning bragging rights about his students in both Wilson and Brevard. It is in Brevard that he studied the fiddle. At Earthshine Lodge in Lake Toxaway, NC, he acted as a carpenter, coaching students on the construction of wooden shingles, and birdhouses, performing also as Gnarly Gneiss, teaching visiting children about regional geology. Bill also assisted in various construction projects, as needed.

The family wishes to express its gratitude to the caregivers at The Oaks Memory Care unit in Brevard, and to the entire staff from Four Seasons Hospice Care, who gave their loving and compassionate care to both Bill and his family and friends.

Plans for a celebration of Bill’s life are incomplete at this time.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Four Seasons Hospice at 571 S. Allen Road, Flat Rock, NC 28731 or to Alzheimer’s Research, 4600 Park Road, Suite 250, Charlotte, NC 28209.