Clark Williams, Jr.

Ray Clark Williams, Jr., son of Raymond Clark Williams of Morristown, TN, and Marguerite Spence Williams of Glade Springs, VA., was born on November 5, 1940, in Bristol, TN. He died on August 17, 2024, in Asheville, NC, near his summer residence. Clark attended Bristol, TN, public schools and graduated from Bristol Tennessee High School in 1959. He played various high school sports and excelled in football, winning several state honors. Having received full scholarship offers to play college ball from several well-known universities, Clark chose Vanderbilt University to continue his education and play for the Commodores. At Vanderbilt, Clark joined the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. In addition to playing football, he participated in other intramural sports, including wrestling and the Vandy swim team, and enrolled in the ROTC program. Upon graduation, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. While at Vandy, Clark met Margaret Love Beavers from Newnan, GA, and they married six months after his graduation. In June 1964, he was called to active duty at Fort Sill, OK, where he played football for the Fort Sill Cannoneers and coached wrestling. After the 1964 football season, Clark was selected for the All-Army Football Team, joining future Auburn University coach Pat Dye. Clark completed his military service in Paris, France, at NATO's SHAPE Headquarters, where football games between U.S. military bases fueled intense rivalries. In addition to playing football, Clark served as a courier and held various administrative roles. He was also part of the team involved in relocating SHAPE NATO Headquarters to Mons, Belgium, in 1967, helping to identify sites for future construction. During this period, Clark and Love had the opportunity to travel extensively across Europe. In June 1967, Clark was discharged from the army with the rank of Captain, and he and Love moved back to Newnan, where they would live for fifty-seven years and raise their children, Alice and Clay. During this time, Clark worked for various flexible packaging companies, acquiring a vast knowledge of that industry. In 1983, he formed his own flexible packaging company, Plastex Industries, Inc., which was his innovative business until his retirement many years later. While living in Newnan, Clark spent nearly every weekend playing golf, enjoyed beach vacations with his family, and frequently traveled with both family and friends. He served as president of the Newnan Country Club and participated in various activities over the years. During retirement, Clark and Love spent summers in Cashiers, NC, where they were residents of the High Hampton neighborhood of Sheep Laurel. Both were active in the community, where Clark was the past president of the Colony Club, the main gathering place for the High Hampton Community. During those years there were many trips traveling with friends both in the US and abroad, plus summers playing golf at High Hampton. The funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 29, 2024, in the chapel of McKoon Funeral Home, with Dr. Harry Barrow officiating. Visitation will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday at McKoon Funeral Home. Interment will be a private family gathering at Oak Hill Cemetery at a different time. Flowers are appreciated and memorial contributions may be made to The Heritage School's French Scholarship fund. Condolences may be expressed online at www.mckoon.com Clark is survived by his wife of 60 years, Love Beavers Williams; daughter, Alice Browning (Todd); son, Clay Williams (Elizabeth); grandchildren, Allie Browning, David Browning, Walker Williams, Carter Williams; and sister, Mary Margaret Fietz. McKoon Funeral Home & Crematory (770) 253-4580

Clark Williams, Jr.

November 5, 1940 - August 17, 2024