Not Afraid of the Shadows

Just for grins: Larry Clarke enjoys the company of his good friend Roger Newton, his hospice chaplain. Larry’s shirt was a silly gift from friends in New Mexico. He was a fun-loving guy who had a great sense of humor.

The Life and Legacy of Larry Don Clarke

By Debbie Newton (A Caldwell Hospice Volunteer)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart." I'd see the recognizable words of Proverbs 3:5 painted on a foot stone as I walked the path that led into a rustic log home. It bore witness to the faith of those who lived within its walls, welcoming all who entered to listen to the testimony of a follower of Christ. As a volunteer with Caldwell Hospice, I'd go there to meet with a patient, Larry Don Clarke, and listen to his life's story—a story of following God's calling and servanthood.

Larry passed into the heavenly kingdom in the wee morning hours of September 11th, 2019 while in hospice care. I can just hear Larry rejoicing with the saints at the feet of Jesus. If you asked him, “Who is Larry Clarke?” He would have answered without hesitation, “I am a child of the King.”  

Growing Up

He was born on December 7th, 1947, to T. L. and Ruth Hazel Bowman Clarke in Shreveport, Louisiana. Declared a Pearl Harbor baby by his parents, he was the fifth of seven children, four boys and three girls. He enjoyed a happy childhood, during which he spent summers on his grandfather’s farm.

His beloved oldest brother, A. C., took on the role of watching out for Larry and his siblings. On Sunday mornings, A. C. would make sure they were all up and dressed to go to church with their mother. Their father did not attend with them but would sit waiting in his chair for their return, and then yell and curse at their mother for attending church. 

It was through Larry’s observance of the faithfulness of his mother that he came to know his Savior as a young teenager. Larry deeply admired her servant’s heart. To him, she was like  Ruth seeking to serve her Lord, and Larry wanted to follow in her footsteps. 

He was baptized with his family, including his father, who had a change of heart. After the baptism service, the choir director approached him and said, “Young man, I need your help. Could you help clean the baptistry and help fill it each time?” Larry felt so honored to serve his Lord and blessed to be given that privilege. 

With tears of joy, Larry said, “I would be satisfied to even wash the pots used for foot washing in heaven if asked, because there are no unimportant jobs in heaven.”

A Miracle

In his high school years, Larry opted to take a speech class in place of an English class. Larry said he was certain that is why he loved to gab so much. Being extremely poor, he grew up knowing that college wouldn’t be an option for him.

So, upon graduating high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served for three and a half years. His older brother, A. C., was a decorated career Marine, even flying the presidential helicopter. Together, Larry and his brother served combat duty in Vietnam. 

On February 21, 1969, Larry married his sweetheart, Toni Mae Shepherd. February of this year marked their 50th wedding anniversary. 

In Shreveport, he began studying forestry and soon earned his four-year degree thanks to the GI bill. Larry jokingly said this is where he learned how to spell “tree." 

At the age of 21, Larry found himself balancing marriage, school, and a job working at SWEPCo (South Western Electric Power) as a billing clerk. In the years that followed, he worked for a paving company in Louisiana and a lumber company in Arkansas. He finally landed a job with the Bearden Lumber Company where, within a month, he was promoted to district forestry. This was Larry’s dream job. 

Reminiscing with tears in his eyes, Larry pondered why God would work such a miracle in his life, why he would give him so much. 

God’s Providence

Then, his mother-in-law fell ill, and Toni wanted to move to Durham, North Carolina to be closer to her mom. At that time, they already had two small daughters together: Wendy and Holly. After their move, they would have a son in North Carolina named Jonathan, and Larry had the privilege to cut the umbilical cord. Years later, he got to baptize Jonathan as well. 

“Those were two extraordinary experiences!” Larry had said. 

Selling their home and packing up, they moved to Durham, where Larry worked odd jobs for IBM, UPS, and the US Forest service for two years. He also took up teaching Sunday school on the side. 

In God’s perfect timing, Larry was taught a lesson of patience and understanding when he was led to openly share his need for prayer in finding a permanent job. One of his Sunday school students approached him with a job opportunity, and later that same week he was contacted by IBM about a job. 

Larry prayed over the matter, and he felt that God wanted him to take the job with his student. So, he did! This led to a deep friendship, and through God’s providence, both men felt called to eventually form an environmental company together called Zedek Company, named after Melchizedek in the Old Testament. They were Larry Clarke and Larry Hackworth, brothers in Christ and colleagues at work. 

The Shepherd and the Lamb

During this time, Larry, a chain smoker, had been trying to quit his addiction to nicotine with various methods: half day withdrawal, nicotine patches, and even hypnosis. Nothing worked! 

Feeling frustrated and defeated, he recalled a dream he had of a baby lamb on the side of a hill, crying out for help from under a huge crushing rock. No one came, and Larry felt himself pass out when suddenly he saw the shepherd came upon the lamb, reached down, picked up and hurled the gigantic rock off the bleating lamb. 

When he woke, he felt scared until he realized that God was the Shepherd, he (Larry) was the Lamb, and the rock was his addiction to nicotine. He had been trying to rid himself of the bondage of nicotine, but only the Lord could completely eradicate it. From that very moment, Larry no longer had a desire to smoke. Larry didn’t know why God’s grace preceded on his life, but he knew that it did, and he praised Him for it. 

A Servant’s Heart

Always desiring of a servant’s heart, Larry served faithfully in the church as a deacon and a teacher, and he volunteered in numerous ways. In his community, he volunteered for: Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse, Meals on Wheels, Ashe Pregnancy Center, Soup Kitchen, Freedom Farm, and the Prison Ministry. 

One of his favorite volunteering events was playing his beloved guitar to the residents at Ashe Living Center. He fondly remembered the tears in the eyes of the residents as they listened and sang along.

He loved playing his guitar, sharing that he had played it everywhere from Honduras to Guatemala, to Florida to North Carolina. He found solace in the music that rose from his heart and through his fingers in worship and gratitude to his Risen Savior.

Not Afraid of Death

Last August, Larry was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. He had had three to four close calls with death in years past, but now he was faced with his most difficult and final journey. His family sought assistance with Caldwell Hospice of the High Country for medical, psychological, and spiritual needs. Larry was so thankful for their visits and grateful for their medical care. 

He said through every painful time in his life, God had taught him many lessons. With hospice folks, he was able to express his deepest concerns, fears, and needs. Through this final journey, I believe that God taught Larry true peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). 

Earlier in January, God had opened the door for Larry to visit the Holy Lands one last time with his church. He shared that during that time, his health was remarkable. It was those memories he would meditate on as he lay weakened from ALS. He would visualize the sites of Biblical stories and pondered how great God was, is, and will always be. 

One of his memories was that of being above Jericho where King David would have viewed the valley that he mentions in Psalms 23. Larry stated there were five words that represented his life: “The Lord is my Shepherd.” 

One of his favorite books was about Psalm 23, and he had been intrigued by the explanation given about the “shadow of death." A shadow cannot hurt you. He was not to be afraid. 

God’s Word had become strikingly powerful in his life. With God’s urging, he felt compelled to tell his story, and he did to everyone that would listen.

This article was originally written for the Winter 2019 Edition of The Journey magazine.