June 21, 1928 - October 11, 2016
Harold "Pete" D. Clarke, Jr. Obituary
(Age 88) Harold Pete D. Clarke, Jr., passed away Tuesday, October 11th, 2016. He was born June 21, 1928, in Hastings, Nebraska, joining his sisters, Betty and Virginia as the children of Harold and Freda Clarke. Harold was given the nickname of Pete when he was a young boy growing up in Spokane and that stuck with him the rest of his life. Pete graduated from Lewis & Clark High School in 1946. He had a job at a grocery store during that time and while delivering groceries to the home of Dr. Wesley Moline, he met his future wife, Ruth. They were married on December 4, 1949. Pete and Ruth were blessed with three children, Susan, Anna and Harold, nine grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.
Pete graduated from Washington State University in 1950. He was a lifelong Coug fan. Pete was in ROTC at WSU and the Korean War was beginning when he graduated. Pete was active duty Air Force until 1953 and then in the Air Force Reserve until 1980, retiring as a full Colonel. He earned the Meritorious and National Defense Medals. In 2014 he participated in the Honor Flight Program.
Pete attended Gonzaga Law School in the mid-1950s while supporting his family working as a Teamster. After graduating from law school in 1957, he was in the private practice of law until 1974 when Governor Dan Evans appointed him to the Spokane County Superior Court bench. He served as a Superior Court judge until 1995. Pete was active with work within his profession serving on various committees and boards. He served as President of the Superior Court Judges Association in 1989-90. He then continued to work as a mediator, arbitrator, Judge Pro Tem, and any other position that kept him active in the legal community until he was almost 80.
Pete loved to run and participated in many Bloomsdays, as well as two marathons. He was an Olympic torch bearer for the 2002 winter games. Pete believed in hard work, loyalty to those around him, loving his family and friends, and his faith. He was a member of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church for over 60 years. He truly was a good guy who finished first in life.
Pete is survived by his wife, Ruth; children Susan Borg (Greg), Anna Deaver (Gerald) and Harold Clarke III (Heidi); grandchildren Sarah, Peter, Leah, Evan, Vanessa, Katie, Ben, Jacob and Ethan; great-grandchildren Grant, Ava, Erik, Annika, Harper, Lucy, Penelope, Emma and Ruby. He is preceded in death by his great-granddaughter, Marleigh. Visitation will be held at Heritage Funeral Home on Monday, October 17, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Tuesday, October 18, from 8 a.m. 5 p.m. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, October 19th, 1:00 p.m., at Hamblen Park Presbyterian Church, 4102 S. Crestline St., Spokane, Washington. He will be laid to rest at a private family graveside service. Memorials may be sent to Emmanuel Presbyterian Church or the Alzheimers Association.
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