Charles Clarke

CHARLES FENTON CLARKE JR. died peacefully at his home in Cleveland Heights on Friday, January 17, 2014, at the age of 97, in the company of his wife Judge Lesley Wells Clarke. He was a remarkable man who had a significant impact on Cleveland, on his law firm, and all who knew him.

Charlie was born in Hillsboro Ohio on July 25, 1916. The family moved to Coldwater Michigan, where Charlie was raised and educated. After receiving his B.A. from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and his law degree from the University of Michigan, Charlie practiced law in Detroit until he joined the Army at the commencement of World War II. He was with the Army OSS and worked with the Manhattan Project. There he met Colonel Jack Lansdale, who, on a leave of absence from Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, recruited Charlie to join the firm's growing litigation practice, where Charlie remained an invaluable contributor, friend and mentor to generations of lawyers until his death. During the 1980's Charlie served as head of the Firm's Litigation Practice and on its Executive Committee. However, Charlie was a natural leader at the Firm but a reluctant manager of tasks he preferred to leave to others.

Charlie loved the practice of law and was a formidable and very successful trial lawyer. During his long career, Charlie handled a range of cases that was unusual even before the current era of specialization. He was involved in landmark cases that affected the fate of the region, including the 1973 Cleveland desegregation "busing" case, which went to the U. S. Supreme Court, and a 1980 case brought by former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, on behalf of the United Steelworkers, to stop the planned shutdown of U. S. Steel's Youngstown works. He was particularly skilled at jury cases, and for many years represented national railroads in cases of all types in many jurisdictions. He also handled a variety of criminal cases, ranging from the successful defense of a prominent Cleveland politician in an alleged "Carnival Kickbacks" scheme, to a pro bono defense of a murder trial of a Hells Angels gang member, where Charlie prevailed on a conviction of a lesser charge on the accurate medical theory that the victim was already dead when the defendant pulled the trigger.

His professional accomplishments were widely recognized on a national and regional basis. Charlie was a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a master bencher of the Judge John M. Manos Inn of Court, the past president of the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel and a life member of the Sixth and Eighth Circuit Judicial Conferences. Most importantly, he taught by example generations of younger lawyers what it means to be an exceptional lawyer and person.

Charlie had a unique ability to connect with anyone and everyone. While his interest in people certainly helped make him a more effective lawyer, it was not a tactic. It was genuine. He would intuitively take the time to learn something special about everybody he encountered and would find a way to let each of us know what that was. Everyone at the Union and Tavern Clubs -- from the staff to the starchiest member -- enjoyed and respected Charlie, even if they disagreed with his diverse and sometimes controversial points of view. Charlie will be sorely missed by his fellow lawyers at the Court of Nisi Prius, where he received every available accolade and distinction.

He was passionate about personally helping people out of tough situations - be they personal, financial or legal. Charlie was deeply compassionate, and was a tireless advocate for the less fortunate among us. He was a founder, Chairman for 21 years and invaluable leader of Cleveland's Free Clinic, which supplied life-saving care to many who had no other options. For many years he was also active in leadership at the Church of the Covenant, where he also taught Sunday school for over 30 years.

He had a special love for his cottage in Pentwater Michigan, which served as a base for occasionally successful attempts to catch trout with his good friends Will Nordstrom and Sterling Newell. He had a passion for history, and founded the Civil War Roundtable. He was very well read, and would often launch into recitations of classical poetry, preferably in Greek or Latin, unless the audience needed an English translation for some reason. He was a consummate raconteur, telling stories with such flair that it seldom mattered whether they had originating basis in reality or where they went afterwards.

Charlie genuinely and happily reached out to help to make all his many partners and friends a little bit better as professionals and human beings. He will stand forever in the memory of all who knew him as an enduring example of a life lived fully and well and usefully; what a gift to have been a witness to it.

Charlie is survived by his beloved wife Lesley, his four children Elizabeth Clarke Ames of Cincinnati, Margaret Patton Clarke of Boston, Jane Clarke Wadsworth (Will) of Tuxedo Park, New York and Kip Clarke (Allison) of Chagrin Falls and his step-children Lauren Miller (Stan), Tom Brooks, Caryn Coleman (David), Kristin Brooks (Glenn Meyer). He will be dearly missed by his 14 grandchildren: Laura and Julia Fowkes, Quinn, Gigi and Sarah, Storm and Tenaya, Avery and Jared, Griffin and Emmett, Ricardo, Federico and Ruggero.

The family prefers that those who wish make contributions in his name to The Free Medical Clinic, c/o The Development Office of Greater Cleveland, 12201 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106 or to Flashes of Hope, 6009 Landerhaven, Suite I, Mayfield Hts., OH 44124. Memorial Services will be held at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115 on Friday, January 31st at 1 PM.


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