Roland Hayes Clark

Roland Hayes Clark born October 19, 1937, in Topeka, Kansas was the youngest child of Clarence and Addie Clark. Roland was raised in Salina, Kansas where he attended school, including the all-black Dunbar Elementary School. He was an athlete and enjoyed playing baseball and attending the dances at the Carver Center. After leaving High School in the eleventh grade, he joined the Navy in 1955 in Kansas City, MO and was assigned to report to Great Lakes IL. On Dec 7, 1971, while serving as Chief, Naval Ops he received the Navy and Marine Corps Meritorious, Achievement Medal awarded by the Chief of Naval Operations. Roland served most of his time in San Diego during his more than 20 years in the US Navy. He held many positions while serving our country, including cook, but he felt he most appreciated his position in Human Resources where he could also best serve the men and women who also helped serve our country. Roland was a prolific boxer and let you know he could and did outbox a lot of fighters he went up against. He was physically fit and a health fanatic who always took extreme care of his body and health. Roland was a dapper man and was always immaculately dressed from head to toe. After retiring from the Navy, he returned to his childhood home of Salina KS where he cared for his father & mother, until their passing. He attended and donated financially to St. John's Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Allen Smith. In Feb. 1983 Roland, LC and Simon Miller, and Danny Strohman organized the Soul Swingers with the aim of bringing live entertainment to Salina. The group opened its efforts at a cocktail party at the Hilton Inn with music by Nova II, a Junction City group. Not one for being inactive, Roland worked at the Excide Battery until his second retirement. Roland often spoke what was on his mind and was quick to mentor, give advice and his version of wisdom to all his nieces and nephews. Although, Roland did not have any biological children when he married Wilma Jeanne Clark in ????, he became a mentor to Clifton, Kimberly, Crystal, Carenne, and Edward, and surrogate grandfather to their children. In 2001 Roland married Danetta Strohman Theus and was there for her children; Danyle Cobb, Cecil Bess & Kenton Bess and her grandchildren. Roland was proceeded in death by his father, Clarence C. Clark, Sr., his mother Addie Lee Clark. Four brothers, Edward (5 children)Rufus Belton (3 children) , Lawrence Clark (9 children), and Clarence Clark Jr. (25 children), and one sister Dorothy Hawkins (10 children) Roland is survived by a host of nieces and nephews and friends who have fond memories of him and who will all miss him dearly.

Roland Hayes Clark

October 19, 1937 - June 17, 2024