Harry L. Clark Jr., 77, broadcast pioneer
Harry L. Clark Jr., 77, of Hatboro, a broadcast pioneer, educator, and Hatboro councilman, died Tuesday, Sept. 29, of aplastic anemia in Abington Hospice, Warminster.
Harry L. Clark Jr., 77, of Hatboro, a broadcast pioneer, educator, and Hatboro councilman, died Tuesday, Sept. 29, of aplastic anemia in Abington Hospice, Warminster.
The son of Harry L. Clark Sr. and Lillian Dameron, he graduated from Hatboro-Horsham High School in 1955 and earned a bachelor's degree in music from Susquehanna University.
Bucky, as he was called, completed master's and doctoral degrees in educational administration, both from Temple University.
From 1971 until 2014, he was principal of the Log College Middle School in Warminster. Under his guidance, it was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
Dr. Clark took many steps to foster a caring, respectful atmosphere such as playing the piano for a school holiday sing-along and opening each faculty meeting by saying that he had the best teachers and school staff in Pennsylvania.
But he also was very proud of being a broadcast pioneer. Starting at age 3, he was heard on a WCAU radio program sponsored by Dolley Madison Ice Cream.
He was a regular on the Uncle WIP show on WIP radio for seven years. He also performed on the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour broadcast nationally by ABC from New York, and on Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club, which originated live from 6ABC in Philadelphia.
As a college student, he hosted his own radio program over WKOK Radio in Sunbury, Pa.; he worked with announcer Merrill Reese at WBCB in Levittown, as a disc jockey and newsman; and was a writer for KYW Newsradio.
Later, he called upon his broadcasting skills to provide color commentary on the Hatboro holiday parade for public access TV.
"Not only did he have a pleasant voice, he spoke from the diaphragm, which gave such a full sound and a smooth delivery of information," said his friend and attorney Robert John. "He could fill a void with no problem at all. It just flowed."
Dr. Clark served for 28 years ending in 2005 on the Hatboro Borough Council, six of those years as president. In a post on its Facebook page, the borough thanked him for his "many years of service to the community."
He also was a member of the Montgomery County Industrial Development Authority and a past chairman of the board of Warminster Hospital.
His wife, Suzanne Sherry Clark, died in 2000. He is survived by a daughter, Stephanie Paige Clark.
A celebration of life is to be from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Lehman Memorial United Methodist Church, 300 S. York Rd., Hatboro, Pa. 19040, followed by an 11 a.m. funeral service at the church. Interment is in Hatboro Cemetery.
Donations may be made to the church at the address above, or to Abington Memorial Hospital via www.abingtonhealth.org/WaysOfGiving/.
610-313-8102