Mr. Roy Lee Clark, 83, of Bristol, passed away peacefully but gloriously on Friday, October 7, 2022 at the Center for Hospice Care Raclin House in Mishawaka. Born in Roanoke, AL on July 11, 1939, Roy was the son of the late Jimmie and Tessie (Roland) Clark. On March 8, 1959, Roy married Bonnie Ruth Lyons in San Francisco at the Treasure Island Naval Base. She survives at home after 63 wonderful years together.

Also surviving Roy are his sons Cedric Clark of Bristol and Corwyn Clark of Dallas, Texas; his daughter Crystal Clark of Ft. Worth, Texas and his foster daughter Brenda Harrison of Elkhart; his sister Lizzie Bell of Richmond, Virginia, sister in law Phyllis Davis of Elkhart; grandchildren Kyler (Kelsey) Clark and Alphonzo Lee, III, Rene (Patrick) Hale, Jessica Harrison; great grandchildren Alexis and Braylan Clark; a host of nieces and nephews, cousins and godchildren. A son, Cameron Clark, brothers Frank and Jimmie Clark, and sisters Ella Pearl Walker, Willie Ruth Clark and Sarah Joiner all precede Roy in death.

Billings Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Elkhart, along with Agape Missionary Baptist Church, 248 W. Wolf Ave., Elkhart, will conduct Roy's services beginning with a gathering of friends and family on Friday, October 14, 2022 from 5-7 pm at the funeral home. Then, on Saturday, October 15, 2022, Roy's Homegoing Service will be celebrated at AGAPE Missionary Baptist Church at 11:00 am with visitation beginning at 10 am. The Reverend Dr. Dannell Brown will officiate and Roy's nephew, the Reverend Fitzhugh Lyons Jr. of the Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Indianapolis will be the eulogist. Entombment will follow at the Faith Mausoleum at Rice Cemetery in Elkhart and military honors will be rendered by the US Navy Funeral Honor Guard.

After being honorably discharged from the  U.S. Navy, Roy served as assistant superintendent at the Elkhart Foundry for the better part of 35 years. He was also a lead deacon at AGAPE Missionary Baptist Church, was the past secretary for the King David Masonic Lodge #53 of Elkhart and was the first African American person to serve as an auxiliary police officer for Elkhart. He was also very close friends with many of the area pastors, as Roy was an active volunteer and advocate for many local area charities. He also considered himself "fortunate" enough to participate personally in the volunteer Katrina response in 2005. He considered the trip a "pilgrimage of faith" as he travelled to the gulf coast with close friends Pastor LaFate Owens and Jerome Gill. He was also blessed to be able to participate in the funerals for Coretta Scott King and for Rosa Parks, giving him an historical front row seat to the celebration of the lives of some of the most prominent and inspirational individuals in modern American history.

When Roy was able to relax, his first instinct was to grab his fishing pole and head out, which, to us, is a pretty good choice! He also kept a thriving garden with his award winning vegetables each year in the Elkhart Truth Garden Games. He loved music and kept the oral family tradition of storytelling alive. Finally, he was a huge electronics enthusiast and loved to build tv's, radios, pinball machines and clocks.

Friends and family wishing to make a donation in Roy's memory may do so by donating to Feed The Children Charity at www.FeedTheChildren.org/US. Additionally, please be sure to thoroughly browse Roy's obit page, as you are able to leave condolences and memories, post photographs on his memory wall, and order other funerary items in regard to the family.

Roll Tide, Roy!!

Feed the Children
333 N Meridian Ave, Oklahoma City OK 73107
Tel: 1-800-627-4556
Web: https://secure.feedthechildren.org/site/Donation2?df_id=1400&mfc_pref=T&1400.donation=form1