Patrick Clarke

Patrick H Clarke Obituary

Patrick Herbert Clarke, 95 (October 4, 1929 - February 19, 2025) passed peacefully after a long period of convalescence at Morningstar Senior Living in Billings, MT. Pat was born in Rushville, Nebraska, the only son of three children born to Josephine (Cushing) and Herbert Clarke of Clinton, NE.

In Pat ‘s early life, he helped run the family ranch near Clinton. He attended school in Hay Springs and when his father passed away in 1945, helped a family friend build a house for his mother and sisters in Hay Springs. In high school he excelled at basketball, his studies, and joking around. After graduating from high school, he briefly attended the University of Nebraska before volunteering for the Korean War with the US Navy.

After returning from the war in 1952 he found the smartest, most resourceful, and beautiful young woman in Sheridan County, Arlene Mary Peters, and quickly married her on June 22rd, 1953 at Saint Columbkille Catholic parish in Hay Springs, Nebraska.

In 1953, as a good Irish Catholic he began creating a family with Arlene all while pursuing a Master’s in School Administration at Chadron State College and working as a full- time electrical lineman for the Rural Electric Cooperative. After graduation he worked as a school superintendent in Arvada and Jeffery City, WY while continuing to participate in the creation of a grand total of 6 children.

In 1964, to better fund a family of eight he moved the clan to Homer, Illinois and began a career in insurance for teachers with the Horace Mann Insurance Company. While living in Illinois he was the commander of his American Legion Post and freely gave of his time to other local service organizations.

In 1978, he began working as a salesman for the National Manufacturing Company and as a consequence was finally able to move his family back to the West, settling south of Laurel, Montana in 1982.

In 1991, Patrick, his three sons, and his brother-in-law, Arnold Peters built a log cabin south of Red Lodge, MT from the ground up using a log kit sent from Idaho. The cabin ownership was spread throughout the greater family, and for many decades it has been the focal point for holidays, weddings, vacations, skiing, rafting, fishing, backpacking, and many other happy, memorable activities.

Pat retired from National in 1996, and began an active post-retirement that included exercise, home-improvement, world travel, cabin maintenance, snow-birding, and all types of outdoor recreation with his children, relatives and friends. He loved being with his children and consequently took up downhill skiing at age 50 and backpacking at age 60 in order to maximize the time he could spend in the mountains with his family. He still could hump a 45# backpack up into the Beartooths at age 82.

Throughout his life, Pat made friends everywhere he went. He had a great sense of humor and loved to joke and kid with his family, relatives, and friends especially over a cold beer.

Pat was at the very end of the Greatest Generation, a generation known for its service, its quiet accomplishments, and its humble beginnings in the Depression and Dust Bowl. He was highly intelligent but more importantly he could fix things. From a 1966 RCA TV, a 1968 Volkswagen Hatchback brake assembly, or a crappy 1972 Murray riding lawnmower, to a 1982 front-tine roto-tiller, an American Motors Eagle (!!!), or fishing reel, Pat could make it workable again. He was a good carpenter, a great electrician, a skillful plumber, a nimble dancer, and an adept mechanic. He could mix/pour cement correctly, build a brick wall, re-roof a house, shoot an elk at 300 yds, swath hay, brand calves, and had the confidence to actually attempt to fix an out-board boat motor.

He was a good and decent man; a caring husband, an exceptional father, a loving grand-father, a hard-working provider, a helpful generous neighbor, and devoted Catholic. He was the head of the Clan and we will miss him greatly.

Patrick was pre-deceased by this parents Jo & Bert Clarke, his in-laws Arnold and Minnie Peters, his sister and brother-in-law Joanne and Bill Wood, his brothers/sisters-in-law Annie & Pete Weyers, Josephine & Clifford Davis, Elsie & Charlie Letcher, Leonard & Hattie Peters, and Elaine & Herman Sanders. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Arlene, his sister Jeanne ( husband ,the illustrious James Quinn) of Denver, CO., brother-in-law Arnold Peters of Wimberly, Texas, daughter Tori (husband Marcus ) of Laramie, WY, his daughter Cindy (husband Tom) of Red Lodge, MT, son Ryan (wife Suzy) of Bozeman, MT, son Kelly (wife Janelise) of Billings, MT, daughter Shannon (husband Katsumi) of Nagoya, Japan, and son Donovan (wife Naoe) of Nagoya, Japan, 17 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and many, many wonderful nephews, nieces and cousins

In memoriam, please consider a charitable gift in Pat’s name to Eagle Mount to www.eaglemountbillings.org

A wake and memorial service will be held this summer in Red Lodge, Montana on the weekend of August 23-24th. Event times TBD.