Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

March 30, 2024

Julian Jerome “Jerry” Clark, Jr., 86, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 30, 2024, surrounded by his family. 

Born on September 7, 1937, he was the son of the late Mary Mackey Hough Clark and Julian Jerome Clark. A Charlotte native, Jerry was a proud member of the Classic Class of 1955 at Myers Park High School. Upon graduation from Davidson College in 1959 where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. He was assigned to a division of military intelligence and resided in Washington DC.  In 1961, he married his bride of sixty-three years, Elizabeth “Woody” Bradford. 

Upon his return to Charlotte, Jerry started his career in commercial real estate development where he continued to be active in the field. He was president of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Charlotte and was a founding member of the North Carolina Income Property Loan Committee.  He was also a member of the North Carolina Industrial Developers Association. He was proud of the many long-lasting relationships he developed with buyers of commercial properties during his real estate career.

As a deacon serving the finance and long-range planning committees at First Presbyterian Church, he worked to secure the Popular Street property, enhancing the long-term financial position of the church.  Jerry had many strong relationships with the non-profit community including establishing the Brown Cup, serving on the board of Youth Homes, Right Moves for Youth, the Dowd YMCA, the Charlotte Track Club, United States Masters Swimming, and the Davidson Athletic Foundation. Jerry was a member of Charlotte Country Club, the Charlotte City Club, Springdale Hall Club, and was a proud member of The Piedmont Club of Charlotte. 

Jerry touched many lives as a lifelong athlete, enjoying tennis, basketball, golf, squash, long distance running, triathlons, and swimming.  He enjoyed training for and competing in local, national, and international events.  He qualified twice for the USA Triathlon World team, and held state, national and world records as a US Masters swimmer. For him, the journey of training with friends throughout the many years in all these sporting events was more rewarding and more important than any individual results achieved.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Elizabeth “Woody” Clark; his three children; Lisa Neely (Doug),  Andy Clark (Lauri), Mary Attaway (Joe); his grandchildren:  Sarah, Connor, and Elizabeth "Biz" Neely; Lilly and Katie Clark, Julian, Camille and Lucy Attaway, and the sweet remembrance of Peyton Elizabeth Clark.  He is also survived by his beloved brother, Billy Clark (Veronica and stepdaughter Alex).

A celebration of Jerry’s life will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church. For those unable to attend, the service will be livestreamed using the following link: Watch | First Presbyterian Charlotte. The family will receive friends in the Wood Fellowship Hall following the service. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Jerry's honor can be made to the First Presbyterian Church TV Ministry, Memory & Movement Charlotte, or The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation. 

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC; 28204 (704) 641-7606. Online condolences can be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.