James Alexander Clark

James Alexander Clark, 75, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, passed away on July 9, 2012, following complications from throat cancer surgery. He was born on August 19, 1936, in De Kalb, Mississippi, and spent much of his childhood in Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi. Alex had been a resident of Chapel Hill since 1997. Alex graduated Texas A&M University in 1958 with a Bachelors in Petroleum Engineering, and earned his Masters in Petroleum Engineering in 1959. He later received his Masters in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He spent his career with Exxon, and worked around the word in locations including New Orleans; Australia; Connecticut; Miami, Florida; New Jersey; Norway; London, England; Russia; and Houston, Texas. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Nancy Suchy Clark; four children, Deborah Clark Matthews of Acton, MA, Jason Ramsay Clark of Asheville, NC, Susan Renee Lister of Durham, NC, and Stacey Ellen Clark Burgin of Chapel Hill, NC; and six grandchildren: Ian Matthews, Ramsay Matthews, Gavin Lister, John (Jack) Clark, Oliver Lister, and Sam Burgin. He is also survived by his father Lorne Arthur Davis, Sr. and brother, Dr. Lorne Arthur Davis, Jr., both of Seguin, Texas, and his many first cousins. Alex was preceded in death by his mother, Mabel Richards Davis, of Gulfport. Mississippi. He was a descendant of several pioneer South Mississippi families including Richards, Cowart and Ramsay. Despite living around the world for many years, Alex remained a proud Southerner throughout his life. Visitation will be held on Saturday, July 14, 2012, from 1–2 pm at Coalville United Methodist Church in Biloxi followed by the funeral service at 2:00 pm. Interment will follow at Coalville Cemetery. For those who prefer memorials, the family suggests donations to Texas A&M University. Note “In Memory of James Alex Clark, class of 1958,” and mail to The Association of Former Students, Texas A&M, Attn Kim Blaha, 505 George Bush Drive, College Station, TX 77840. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, O’Neal Road, Gulfport is in charge of arrangements. View and sign register book at www.bradfordokeefe.com