Thomas A. Clark

The Honorable Thomas A. Clark

Judge Thomas A. Clark, 84, died Sunday, September 4, 2005, in Vero Beach, Florida, after a lengthy illness. Judge Clark was born December 20, 1920, in Atlanta, GA.  He graduated from Boys High School in Atlanta.  He was graduated from Washington and Lee University with a B.S. degree and from the University of Georgia Law School with an LL.B. degree.  During World War II, he entered active duty in the United States Navy and was released as Lieutenant Commander after duty in the Southwest Pacific.  He practiced trial law in Bainbridge and Americus, Georgia. He was formerly a member of the Georgia House of Representatives and was the Decatur County (Georgia) Solicitor.   After relocating to Tampa, Florida, he joined the firm of Carlton, Fields, Ward, Emmanuel, Smith and Cutler as senior attorney in their litigation department where he served for over 18 years.  He was a fierce advocate for the rights of the mentally handicapped. Judge Clark was originally appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, headquartered in New Orleans, LA.  In 1981, when the Fifth Circuit was split, he became a member of the newly-established Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, headquartered in Atlanta.  He served on the Eleventh Circuit as an active Judge until 1991, and thereafter as a senior Judge until he retired in 1999. He was a member of the American Bar Association, the Florida Bar Association, the Georgia Bar Association, and the American College of Trial Lawyers. Judge Clark was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Medlock Clark, and by his only sibling, Prudence Clark Shadburn.  Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Christopher S. and Janie Clark, of Vero Beach, FL; a daughter, Julia M. Clark of Alpharetta, GA; a son, Thomas A. Clark, Jr. of  Proctorsville, VT; a step-son and his wife, Dr. Allen L. and JoAnn Carter of Middlefield, CT; a step-daughter, Rosalyn Lackey Corder of Charlotte, NC; and six grandchildren.  He is also survived by numerous law clerks and grandclerks. There will be a viewing for family and friends at A.S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home, 2773 North Decatur Road in Decatur, Georgia, on Saturday, September 10, from 9:30 am to 10:30 am, followed by a memorial service beginning at 10:30 am.  There will be a reception following the memorial service, and then a brief graveside ceremony at Decatur Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association or to The Carter Center. A. S. Turner & Sons