John Benson Clark

John Benson Clark, 87, formerly of Plymouth Springmill Road in Shelby, died Wednesday afternoon in the Crestwood Care Center after an extended illness. He was born April 29, 1901 in Peoria, Illinois and had been an area resident since 1938.

He is survived by a son, John Benson Clark Jr., of Columbus; two daughters: Lucile Chew of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mary Chase Ernsberger, of Reno, Nevada. Eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his parents, Cyril and Mary (Chamberlain) Clark, and his wife Lucile Vernon Clark in 1974.

Mr. Clark had been a group leader for electrical maintenance at the Westinghouse Corp. in Mansfield from 1937 until he retired in 1966. He was a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Mansfield.

Mr. Clark had a lifelong musical interest, beginning with an Episcopal Church Boys’ Choir, directing the Ganges Grange Mixed Chorus, to being a Charter Member of the Mansfield Chapter of the Society for the preservation and encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America. He and his wife were active participants in the Blackfork Community Players and various other Community Musical productions. He sang in the Grace Episcopal Church Choir for a number of years. He was a former Master of the Ganges Grange and was the great-grandson of the first Episcopal Bishop of Ohio, Bishop Philander Chase.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church at the corner of West Third St. and Bowman in Mansfield by his Pastor, The Rev. Canon David S. Sipes. Burial will be in London Cemetery, east of Shelby.

The family will receive friends immediatly after the service in the church undercroft. Memorial contributions may be made to the Grace Episcopal Church Choir Fund and left at the Turner Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.