Leroy Clark, 77, key figure in Yorktown

THEY CALLED HIM the "father of Yorktown."

For a couple of reasons. For one thing, Leroy W. Clark helped turn that neighborhood of North Philadelphia into a beauty spot with his landscaping business.

And second, because he was a surrogate father to generations of young men, many of them with troubled backgrounds, to whom he gave not only jobs in his business but also the benefit of his wisdom and guidance.

Leroy Clark, who developed his love of things that grow on his family's 25-acre farm in West Virginia, a former Philadelphia police officer, adult probation officer, Army veteran and successful entrepreneur, died Saturday after a lengthy illness. He was 77 and lived in Yorktown.

He was the husband of former City Councilwoman Augusta A. Clark, who retired in 2000 after 20 years on Council.

Leroy was born in McAlpin, W. Va., one of the eight children of Walter and Mary Clark. Growing up on the family farm, he loved taking care of the animals and growing prize-winning produce.

While in high school, he became chairman of Future Farmers of America.

He received a Sears scholarship and attended West Virginia State College, where he played football and was in ROTC .

He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in agriculture in 1953 and entered the Army as a second lieutenant.

He served with the 11th Airborne Division as a paratrooper. He was stationed in Germany for five years and discharged in 1958.

It was in college that he met Augusta "Gussie" Alexander. They were married on June 25, 1960, after having moved to Philadelphia in 1958. He and his wife were among the founders of the Yorktown neighborhood, bounded by Girard Avenue, Cecil B. Moore Avenue, 10th Street and 13th Street.

Leroy's first business venture was a Texaco gas station at Broad and Oxford streets. He then served the city in law enforcement, first as a cop then as an adult probation officer for the courts. He retired in 1979.

But landscaping was always Leroy's first love.

"He could work magic with flowers, trees and shrubs," his wife said.

He created "Philadelphia grass cutters" to provide youth with summer jobs.

As a mentor to the youth of Yorktown, Leroy "provided opportunities to troubled young men who would otherwise have been locked out of the workplace - instilling in them a work ethic that allowed them to go out into the marketplace," his family said. "He was a father figure to many who had never known what it was like to have a father."

"He was a positive male role model for generations of young black boys," his wife said.

Leroy was tall and handsome and had a way of presenting himself as if he had a split personality. He could be the "simple country boy," or the very astute, erudite urbanite, depending on the audience and the circumstances.

The Clarks' Yorktown home became a kind of food center, delivering his home-grown produce to friends, family and strangers.

"Following his signature introduction as 'Leroy W. Clark from North Philly,' he would always give you his undivided attention," his family said.

Leroy was an active member and former trustee of Bright Hope Baptist Church, where he did whatever was needed.

Besides his wife, he is survived by a son, Mark Clark; a daughter, Adrienne Mitchell; two sisters, Hazel Clark Brown and Doris Clark Miller; and four grandchildren.

Services: 10 a.m. tomorrow at Bright Hope Baptist Church, 12th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue. Burial will be in Ivy Hill Cemetery, Woolston Avenue and Easton Road.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Leroy W. Clark Scholarship Fund. Send to Bright Baptist Church, 12th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Philadelphia 19122. *