Dorothy Jean Denham Clark

Dorothy Jean Denham Clark, age 86, died on February 11, 2018, in Hermann Memorial Hospital, in Katy, Texas. Mrs. Clark resided in Texas for the last five years. Mrs. Clark was born on October 11, 1931, in Opp, Alabama, to Minnie Jewel Norris (Denham) and Joseph Reuben Denham. She had previously resided in Little Rock (and briefly North Little Rock) for over 46 years. Dorothy was married, April of 1949, to Lt. Felix G. Clark of Vandale, Arkansas. As a young military wife, Mrs. Clark traveled to - and lived in – Japan, The Panama Canal Zone and France, as well as, Georgia, Arkansas (Wynne, Fort Smith/Fort Chaffee, North Little Rock and Little Rock), Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas, making friends and connections across the country and the world that would last a lifetime. Three of the Clark's five children were born abroad - one in The Panama Canal Zone and two in Verdun, France. Dorothy's husband, Major Felix G. Clark, retired to his home state of Arkansas after more than 20 years of active duty. He served in the Marine Air Corp in the Pacific during WWII and, subsequently, in the US Army Infantry, where he fought in the Korean War, as a young officer. Felix worked for Timex in Little Rock and, later, for Remington Arms, in Lonoke. Dorothy went back to work as a department manager for Montgomery Wards in Little Rock, until her early retirement at age 55, when she helped care for her grandchildren. A strong woman who faced adversity with courage, Dorothy's third child was born with Down's Syndrome, at a time when such chromosomal abnormalities were poorly understood. Doctors advised the Clark's to institutionalize their new baby at birth and forget her, as there was no way to assess additional birth defects that might shorten her life, or diminish quality of life. It was made clear that to keep her would be detrimental to her husband's career. Yet, Dorothy and Felix never wavered, taking their baby home. The couple became staunch, early advocates for the mentally retarded. Dorothy took care of her husband, Felix, through his heart problems, a serious bout of pleurisy, an aneurysm repair and lung cancer, in between her own battles with breast cancer, hearing/ear surgeries, a serious car accident, with resultant broken neck and leg, four hip replacements and a severe stroke that left her paralyzed on one side, robbing her of her speech. Through every crisis, challenge, illness and sorrow she remained stoic, determined to make the best of things. She never lost her sense of humor. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Felix G. Clark; her son, Matthew Daniel Clark; her only brother, Albert "Guy" Denham; sisters-in-law, Felice Clark McAfee and Clarice Clark Cook; brothers-in-law, Farris McAfee and Gene Cook; and her son-in-law, Keith Owen Flynn. She is survived by sisters-in-law, Addice Linton Denham, of Phoenix City, Alabama; and Sandra Clark Meador, of Counce, Tennessee; daughter, Linda Clark Flynn, of Henderson, Nevada; son, David Felix Clark and, Sheila Clark, of Weston Lakes, Texas; daughter, Susan Frances Clark, of Conway, Arkansas; son, Mark Douglas Clark and Rhea Phelan, of Dallas, Texas; as well as, her grandchildren (age order) Amanda Flynn, Ryan Flynn and Jacquelyn Flynn Stewart, Jacquelyn's husband, Jason Stewart, all of Henderson, Nevada; grandson, Matthew P. Clark of Dallas, Texas; granddaughter, Mindole′ Clark, of Prague, Czek Republic; grandson, Anthony "Tony" Clark of Atlanta, Georgia; grandson, Erik Clark and his wife, Lea′, of Katy, Texas; granddaughter, Natalie Zolten, of Little Rock, Arkansas; also, great-grandchildren: Nathaniel, Lillian and Juliette Stewart of Henderson, Nevada, and Felix Guy Clark of Katy, Texas… and many nieces, nephews, cousins and other beloved family members and friends. A viewing will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018 from 3 to 5 p.m., at Roller-Chenal Funeral Home, 13801 Chenal Parkway in Little Rock, Arkansas. Funeral services will be 10 a.m., Monday, March 5, 2018 at funeral home with burial to follow at the Little Rock National Cemetery. Flowers are allowed for only a brief time at Little Rock National Cemetery. Donations are appreciated to The Heart Failure Society of America: www.hfsa.org, Breast Cancer Research Foundation: https://give.bcrf.org, The American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org, or National Stroke Association: http://www.stroke.org/ways-give/donate. Online guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/chenal.