Hugh Kidder Clark Ph. D.

AIKEN, SC- Hugh Kidder Clark, age 97, died Saturday, June 20, 2015.

Born January 22, 1918, in St. Louis, Mo., Hugh Kidder Clark graduated Phi Beta Kappa magna cum laude from Oberlin in 1939 and in 1943 earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Cornell, where he met his wife Marie. After working on radar countermeasures at Harvard's Radio Research Laboratory, he joined Du Pont at the end of 1945, moving to Aiken in 1953 along with his wife and twins Lawrence and Barbara. He worked on nuclear criticality safety in the Theoretical Physics Division of the Savannah River Laboratory, helping ensure safety in operations with fissionable materials. He became well-known in this area, receiving numerous awards and citations.

Throughout his life, Hugh enjoyed walking, hiking all over Hitchcock Woods and climbing mountains well into his eighties. He loved to sing and was often a tenor soloist in choral societies and church choirs. He and Marie traveled extensively, including trips to Europe, Africa, and Mexico. During the nearly eight years that Marie was in a nursing home, he often brought in slides of their travels and read to her accounts of their happy adventures. Marie died in 2013. He was also preceded in death by his two younger brothers, Robert A. Clark and F. Eugene Clark.

Hugh was a loving, conscientious and generous husband and father. At the time of his death, he was contributing to more than 50 charities. He is survived by his son Lawrence Clark of Erie, Pa., daughter Barbara Ucko of Washington, D.C., grandchildren Aaron Ucko, Amy Ritzel, and Lisa Blakeslee, as well as numerous great grandchildren.

Visitation will be held this Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. at the George's Funeral Home. Services will take place at 10:30 in the George Funeral Chapel, followed by internment at Aiken Memorial Gardens.

The Historic George Funeral Home, 211 Park Ave., SW, Aiken, SC 29801 (803.649.6234) in charge of arrangements.