MEMPHIS, Tennessee — William “Bill” Gay Clark, 91, of Water Valley, died Monday, July 18, 2016, at the Quince Rehab and Nursing Center in Memphis. Funeral services will be today at 1 p.m. in the Henry Chapel of Seven Oaks Funeral Home with Bro. Freddie Moorman officiating. Interment will following at Oak Hill Cemetery in Water Valley. Visitation was 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at Seven Oaks Funeral Home, which is in charge of arrangements.

He was born in in Marshall Country, Kentucky on Nov. 26, 1924, on his family farm to Waite and Della Mae Clark. He served in the Navy during World War II as a carpenter’s mate. This lead him to working as a cabinet maker and then becoming the mill superintendent at Gates Lumber Company in Memphis, a job he held till he retired and moved to Water Valley. Bill and Dorothy were avid square dancers in Memphis for three decades and he served as the second president of The Greater Memphis Square and Round Dance Association. In his retirement he enjoyed hunting, fishing, woodworking, knife making, growing his garden and giving away much of his produce and helping out his friends whenever he could. Bill attended Sylva Rena Baptist Church.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Dorothy Johns Clark; a brother, Ed Clark; a sister, Rosemary C. Brown; and great-grandson Preston Vegors.

He is survived by his son, Albert Michael Clark (Sherrye) of Byhalia; daughter Brenda Gay Clark Payne (Bob) of Germantown, Tennessee; and five grandchildren, Eddie Clark (Audrey), Lisa Clark Vegors (Josh), Christy Clark Campos (Santos), Carol Payne Grantham and John Payne.