William D. "Doug" Clark

William Douglas Clark, “Doug”, passed away at age 51 on Friday, August 27, 2021, at Piedmont Regional Hospital in Columbus, GA after an extended battle with COVID. Born and raised a “Kentucky boy”, he was an avid University of Kentucky fan and was never caught without sporting his UK apparel. His greatest love was for his family. Even though he lived far away, Doug never missed an opportunity to go “home” to visit his family.

Doug is survived by his best friend, Melanie, the love of his life and his wife of 30 years. They were known in the community as the perfect couple and were rarely seen apart. Doug is also survived by his daughters, Adrienne and Michelle, and his son, Lane. They remember him as “Daddy”, and their ultimate example of how to live a life serving God and others. He loved their friends as family and was always involved in his children’s activities. His most recent joy was being a granddaddy.

Doug was a member of Friendship Baptist Church, where he sang in the choir and served as the Young Adult Sunday School teacher. In addition to his regular involvement with his home church, he was often asked to fill-in for pastors at neighboring churches and used these opportunities to openly share his passion and love for Jesus Christ. He was a lover of music and could often be found playing the guitar for his family, singing karaoke, or dancing in the kitchen.

Doug was a proud patriot and US Army Veteran. He was a licensed nuclear power operator and worked at Southern Company for over 20 years. He was loved by his coworkers for his outrageous sense of humor and pranks. They always looked forward to the home-cooked meals he loved sharing with his entire crew.

Doug is survived by his wife, Melanie Ray Harper Clark of Sylvania; his daughters, Adrienne Clark Simmons of Greenville, SC, and Deborah Michelle Clark of Sylvania; and his son, Lane Douglas Clark of Sylvania, and by his father, James William “Jimmie” Clark. Doug is preceded in death by his mother Ina Lee Richards Clark of Central City, KY. He is also survived by his mother-in-law: Mary Willie Griffin Harper of Waynesboro, GA; his sister and brother-in-law: Tamara Lynn & Bill Wise of Burlington, KY and brother and sister-in-law: Martin David & Okhee Clark of Nashville, TN; and his grandchildren: Graceyn Lane Clark, Harper Michelle Simmons, and Declan Thomas Simmons, along with several cherished nieces and nephews.

Graveside Services: Tuesday, August 31, 2021, at 5:00 PM at Friendship Baptist Church Cemetery with Rev. Chad Wall and Rev. Pete Wall officiating. Service will also be live streamed on the Friendship Baptist Church Facebook page. Burial following. To accommodate social distancing, viewing will be held for the family at Thompson Strickland Waters Funeral Home from 3-4 pm. 

Pallbearers: Chuck Kittrell, Randy Harreld, Nathan Kittrell, Aston Harreld, Eric Forehand, Matt Thompson, Peter Wall, and Jay Young, Honorary Pallbearers: Bill Wise Eric Kittrell, Willie Clark, Bryan Clark, Paul Doug Clark, Adam Clark, Kirk Scott, and the Southern Company Operations Department.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Doug Clark COVID Relief Fund, c/o Lagina Evans at Optim Medical Center-Screven, 215 Mims Road, Sylvania, GA 30467. 
 
Thompson-Strickland-Waters Funeral Home in charge of all arrangements.

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