Eugene Singleton Clarke III

Funeral services for Eugene Singleton Clarke III, 83, of Hollandale will be at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, December 1 at the Hollandale First United Methodist Church. He passed away at home on November 29 after an extended illness. Burial will be in the Hollandale City Cemetery under the direction of Boone Funeral Home, Leland. 

He was born on June 15, 1933 in Hollandale to Eugene Singleton and Georgia Wicks Clarke. He graduated from Hollandale High School in 1951. Throughout his high school years, he participated in sports, maintained a newspaper route and was a member of Boy Scout Troop 53 where he attained the rank of Eagle. He then entered Mississippi State College where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and completed the Air Force ROTC program. In 1955 he graduated with a BS in Accounting and was also commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. While in the Air Force, he served as a long-range bomber pilot in the Strategic Air Command. 

On June 19, 1955, he married Grace Ellen Oakes. Upon discharge from the military in 1958, they moved to Jackson, MS where he began his career of over 50 years as a Certified Public Accountant with the firm Dick D. Quinn & Co. In 1962, they moved to Hollandale where he established the firm that is now Clarke, Bradley, Baker & Co., LLP. During his career he served as President of the Mississippi Society of Certified Accountants and on the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy. 

He was a loyal, life long member of Hollandale First United Methodist Church where he served in all offices and taught Sunday School. He was active in the Mississippi Emmaus Community and was a board member of the Mississippi Methodist Foundation. 

He served his community as a member of the Hollandale School Board, HECDF, Hollandale Rotary Club and many years as the Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 53. 

He was preceded in death by his parents Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Singleton Clarke and his sister Reba Clarke Boykin. 

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Grace, sons, Eugene Singleton “Buck” Clarke IV (Paula) of Hollandale and David Estill Clarke (Kit) of Greenville; grandchildren, Anne Read Clarke Lattimore (William) of Savannah, GA, Carlisle Singleton Clarke of Washington, D.C., Ellen Estill Clarke Sawyer (Taylor) of Columbia, SC, David Estill Clarke, Jr. of Chicago, IL and Georgia Corinne Clarke of Oxford, MS and two great-grandchildren, Elizabeth Read Lattimore and William Lattimore IV. 

Memorials may be made to the Hollandale First United Methodist Church, P. O. Box 381, Hollandale, MS 38748 or the charity of your choice. 

Visitation will be at the church immediately prior to the services from 10:00-11:30.