William C. ‘Clark’ Ashby, 100, died on November 21, 2022 at Asbury Solomons Retirement Community. He is survived by his daughters Rhoda Switzer, Janet Ashby, and Carol Bendorf and husband Ivan. Other survivors are his sister Martha Carr; grandsons Jay Switzer and wife Kate, Sutton Ashby and partner Claire Swanson, Scott Bendorf and partner Clare, and Curtis Bendorf and wife Kayla; granddaughters Rhoda Schwartz and Laura Bendorf; and 12 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Rhoda Helen (nee Stratton), on June 24, 2013; his parents Wallace and Mary (nee Little) Ashby; sisters Mary Griffin and husband Edward L. Griffin and Nancy Milloy and husband Peter B. Milloy; brother Wallace L. Ashby and wife Betty; and in-laws Lawrence John ‘Jack’ and Elsa Stratton.

Clark was born in Duluth, MN on July 6, 1922. The experiences in his early years shaped much of his life. Being thrifty and resourceful, such as finding ways to reuse something rather than throw it out, was learned as a child when growing up during the Great Depression. Clark often bicycled around town rather than driving a car, something that was necessary during the Depression and World War II (and he enjoyed biking). He didn’t like water with ice in it because it reminded him of being in Belgium in the winter of 1944 during the World War II Battle of the Bulge, when the only water available to the soldiers came from putting snow into their canteens and then tucking the canteens into their shirts to melt the snow. He served as a US Army Infantry sergeant and was awarded a Purple Heart.

Clark attended George Washington University following high school. After the war Clark was able to continue his education thanks to the GI bill. He attended the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Chicago, earning degrees in botany.

Clark was a Plant Physiologist with the U.S. Forest Service in California, a Research Associate at the California Institute of Technology and on the Botany faculty at the University of Chicago. In 1960 Clark and his wife Rhoda moved to Carbondale where they raised their family and Clark was on the Botany faculty at Southern Illinois University for 32 years. He published 60 research papers on stripmine reclamation and on the ecology of natural areas, and was named an SIU-Carbondale College of Science Outstanding Researcher.

Clark was a Presbyterian Church elder, a member of Acacia Fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa, and Sigma Xi, a Fulbright Fellow at Sydney University in Australia, and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He served as President of the Illinois State Academy of Science and as a Business Manager of the Ecological Society of America.

Many of Clark’s nonprofessional interests aligned with his love of botany. He liked gardening – growing flowers, vegetables, and planting trees. Preserving green space and natural areas such as Lusk Creek was important to him. Clark and his wife Rhoda enjoyed traveling, music, yardwork and Sunday afternoons sailing their Flying Scot.

A Celebration of Life and interment of cremains at Christ Church cemetery in Port Republic, MD will be held at a later date.  In a 2014 letter to the editor Clark wrote, “Each generation must be alert to preserve for its own and for future generations our natural, historic and other heritage”. In keeping with that desire, memorial contributions may be made to the Illinois Native Plant Society, the Southern Illinois Audubon Society or any organization of your choice that makes the world a better place. To leave the family a condolence please visit www.rauschfuneralhomes.com .