- Date Of Birth: July 17, 1949
- State: Missouri
Memorials/Donations
Obituary
Dr. Clark R. Powell, Sr. PhD was born in Kansas City, MO on July 17, 1949 to Mildred (Mustiful) Powell and Henry C. Powell. As a boy, Clark was a hard worker, clean-cut, athletic and well mannered – so his successes later in life came as no surprise. He was raised a devout Catholic. He was a dedicated Alter Boy at Annunciation School and faithfully served his church home and community. He graduated from De La Salle Catholic High School in 1967, where he achieved All American in basketball. Because of this achievement, he was awarded a full basketball scholarship to Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) where he majored in public speaking. His first passion was basketball but he also loved to participate in theater and campus activities that demonstrated his leadership qualities and promoted fellowship among his classmates. At OBU he met and married Judy (Villines) Powell and moved to Kansas City in 1969. To this union, two daughters were born, Cicely and Rachel. Clark earned an Education Specialist (EdS) and Masters in School Administration from Central Missouri State University. In June 2013, he achieved his lifelong dream of obtaining his PhD in Post-Secondary Adult Education from Capella University. Clark worked at various schools in the Kansas City area: Westport High School, De La Salle Education Center, Southwest High School, and Raytown High School. In August of 1986, Clark married Paulette (Coleman) Powell and together, they have one son, Clark II. During their 27 year marriage, Clark and Paulette’s mutual passion for working with troubled youth led them to spend parts of their careers in Benton Harbor, MI, Baltimore, MD and Rochester, NY. In 2013 he retired from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as director for state schools. A devoted educator, Clark never hesitated to relocate in order to serve children that most needed his advocacy. He was known for his radical, no-nonsense approach to reviving school systems in desperate need of reform. He took pride in being the voice of children who were often educationally underserved and voiceless. Until his passing, Clark remained a busy and loving husband, father, educator and community leader. In his earlier adulthood, he loved to play basketball with his fraternity brothers (Omega Psi Phi, Omicron Xi, Fall 84) and play golf, but as he grew older, his love for spending time laughing and visiting with his family and friends became what he most enjoyed. We will miss his sweet smile, his infectious laugh, his unwavering passion, his off-color jokes, his stubborn temperament, his irresistible charisma, his tissue twisters and his unconditional love. Clark leaves wonderful memories to be cherished by his wife, Paulette Powell of Wright City, MO, his mother Mildred Powell of Kansas City, MO, his sister Jacquelyn Powell of Kansas City, MO, his daughters Cicely (Gordon) Enyard of Raytown, MO and Rachel (Mark) Whitfield of Lee’s Summit, MO, his son Clark Powell II of Wright City, MO, his grandchildren, Tatumn Enyard, Avery Enyard, Marley Whitfield, Dreyton Enyard and Myles Whitfield. He is preceded in death by his father, Henry C. Powell and grandson Trevion Preston Powell. He also leaves a network of family, fraternity brothers, friends, and coworkers, who mourn his loss but joyfully celebrate his memory.
Visitation:
Date: *****
Time: *****
Visitation Location:
*****
Service:
Date: Saturday, March 22
Time: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Service Location:
The Cotilltion Room, 16815 E. Highway 40, Independence, MO 64055
Interment:
Private
