With great pride we celebrate 96 wonderful years with Harry A. Clarke who passed away on February 23, 2025 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He dedicated his life to family, friends, community, country and Clarke's Good Clothes. Harry was born on December 16, 1928 in Bristow, Oklahoma into the family of W. Harry and Pearl Ingram Clarke and older sister, Madge. A year later, his father moved the family to Tulsa and opened Clarke's downtown. Harry's spent childhood Saturdays wiping stockroom boxes and marking merchandise. He was a natural retailer. He completed a military education, graduating high school from Western Military Academy in Alton, Illinois. His freshman year he studied retail in New York and excelled in wrestling, then returned, graduating with BA in marketing and advanced ROTC from Oklahoma A & M. He served in Korea as a second lieutenant, the supply platoon leader, for the Second Division, United States Army and was awarded the Korean Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, the United Nations Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. In March 1954, he returned to Tulsa, taking an active role in the business. After their father's heart attack in 1957, Harry and Madge assumed leadership roles as president and vice-president respectively. Their plan included adding stores: Utica Square (1962), Southland (1965), Woodland Hills (1975), Oklahoma City and Joplin. Harry created an atmosphere that made people want to excel through positivity (lifting and encouraging people), goal-setting, and team building (everyone wants to be on a winning team). Unique promotions were a trademark of the stores. Straw Hat Day was celebrated by flying a B-26 down Main Street, dropping hats to be traded for beautiful, personally-fit felt ones. For the Hickok Belt Promotion, eight-year-old Harry constructed 100 glider airplanes that were dropped over neighborhoods to be returned for authentic Hickok belts. Annually Clarke's gave away an adorable Basset Hound puppy to promote Hush Puppy Shoes. Harry believed strongly in selling people and selling service. At the Utica store, he began Coffee Call, a small area with café tables and chairs where customers could get a cup of coffee while spouses shopped, gifts were wrapped, or service problems were solved. In 1981, Harry sold the company to M.M. Cohn, and two years later retired to Grand Lake where he sold real estate for more than 20 years.

Family was a strong commitment for Harry. Family dinner was nightly at seven. He had goals for his kids: playing group sports to learn teamsmanship and individual sports to teach his 10 most important words: "if it is to be, it is up to me." Leadership lessons came with films and discussions about great leaders like Vince Lombardi. He loved quotes such as, "You get what you inspect, not what you expect." He was a terrific inspector! Big Hair, Lil Hair, and his friends enjoyed amazing adventures together: Vail ski trips and fishing trips to Oklahoma lakes. Their claim to fame was catching more than 50 white bass one summer night over a Grand Lake sandbar.

Harry loved community activism. He served as president of the Tulsa Jaycees. His first project was acquiring an elephant for the Tulsa Zoo. Their committee convinced Sipes Grocery Store to donate $1000 of food which they raffled to pay for Gunda, the elephant, who lived at the zoo for 50 years. They also worked to pass the bond issue purchasing the Gilcrease home and art collection which became Gilcrease Museum. Harry was president of both the Young Presidents' Organization and Menswear Retailers of America. He served on the Boards of Utica Square Bank, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Gran Tara. He was member of the Tulsa County Metropolitan Planning Commission that approved the Broken Arrow and Gilcrease Expressways. His proudest  civic contribution was heading the 1971United Way campaign. Despite tough economic times, he sold the need by convincing the editors of the Tulsa World to contribute essential publicity enabling them to meet the 3-million-dollar goal on the last night of the campaign.

One of Harry's favorite endeavors was motivating people. He mentored dozens of young people into successful careers. He said, " Success is not out there someplace, it's in your head." Influenced by Olympic gold medalist Dick Fosbury (Fosbury Flop) who mentally pictured himself going over the bar, Harry coached his young protégés to picture themselves succeeding, making the sale, and thinking positively. He taught them to be unafraid of failure. Babe Ruth may have been the Homerun King, but he struck out 1300 times. Attitude is the most important trait. Keep learning. Do what you enjoy. Have fun!

In 2009, Harry was honored as an influential contributor to the Great State of Oklahoma. His oral history and retail success story was shared through an interview with noted Tulsa radio personality, John Erling, and published by the Oklahoma Historical Society and Voices of Oklahoma (https://voicesofoklahoma.com/interviews/clarke-jr-harry-a/).

Harry was married to Jacqueline Synar Clarke for 44 years. They lived at Grand Lake where they loved hosting family and friends, catching bass and watching the sun rise with hot cups of coffee and cookies. He was a shameless "Cookieaholic". They often traveled to Santa Fe, Vail, and the North Carolina Outer Banks. Following the grandkids' dance, volleyball, outdoor activities, shopping and holiday celebrations were among their favorite pastimes.

Harry was preceded in death by his sister Madge Clarke Wright, and wife, Beverly Goom Clarke. He is survived by his wife, Jackie, daughter, Cathey Clarke Bugg (Steven), and son, Harry Alfred Clarke, Jr. (Lori), granddaughters, Katie Bugg Clarke (Jason), Carrie Bugg Dahlgren (Kyle), and Rebecca Lynn Clarke, and great grandsons, Clarke James Dahlgren, Colton Lee Dahlgren, and Levi David Clarke, who loved fishin' at Great Grandpa Harry's lake.

Harry, Dad, Grandpa, We are grateful for your leadership and ways you guided our futures. You set the bar high, then challenged us to think, stretch, and persevere to reach it. We love you forever.

Harry's Celebration of Life will be March 10th at 10:30 A.M. in Stanley's Funeral Home in Tulsa. Contributions may be made to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma (okfoodbank.org) or Tulsa Area United Way (tauw.org).