Obituary of Captain Merle "Wayne" Clark

Captain Merle “Wayne” Clark, 77, of Pensacola, Florida passed away Thursday, November 23, 2017. Wayne was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida. He shared many stories of his “mischevious” childhood memories, including painting the family dog and trading bottles from the Coca-Cola plant for movie money. Wayne is preceded in death by his mother, Pauline Ethridge. He is survived by his only son, David Wayne Clark, PhD. Wayne was extremely proud of his son. He was a kind and loving father and was always very supportive of David. He is also survived by his soulmate of 21 years, A. Cathy Groene and his great friends, Ernie Merritt, Tom Bobe and Gene Irwin. Wayne began his career with the City of Pensacola Fire Department on November 13, 1967 and retired as Captain on December 30, 1996. He enjoyed breakfast meetings with fellow Fire Department retirees and sharing memories. Wayne loved working on his two favorite cars, his 1962 Chevy Impala and his 1992 Chevy Camaro. He was a fan of NASCAR racing and football and enjoyed watching them on television. Wayne was also a lover of dogs. His dog Sam was his best friend from the time he retired until Sam’s passing in 2015, and then Molly, the chi-weenie joined the family. Wayne was known for his generosity to the homeless and their pets by providing them with dog food. The Memorial Visitation for Wayne will be held on Monday, December 11, 2017 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at Family Funeral and Cremation, 7253 Plantation Road, Pensacola, Florida, 32504. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a memorial donation to Covenant Care, 5041 N. 12th Avenue, Pensacola, Florida, 32504.