Obituary of Melvin Edward Clark

Melvin “Mel” Edward Clark, 88, of State College passed away on Monday, January 29, 2024 at Mount Nittany Medical Center due to complications from long illnesses.

Melvin was born the first of four children to Samuel Clark and Anna (Reed) Clark on February 18, 1935 in Lincoln County, Nebraska in his grandparents’ farm home. He graduated from Arnold High School, Arnold, NE as class salutatorian and enlisted in the U.S. Army the Fall after graduation, after the corn was picked. He became a Signal Corps Lineman, and served in Germany.

After he was released from active Army service he attended college in Kearney, NE intending to become an engineer, but decided by the end of one semester he did not really enjoy making mechanical drawings and blueprints, and changed his major to physics and mathematics. However, after one year of college he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and worked in weather for the remainder of his military service. He was a “Weather Observer” (now known as Apprentice Weather Forecaster), then was an instructor in the Weather Observer training program, where he also continued his college studies in his free time at the University of Illinois. He applied for and received a scholarship from the Air Force to continue his studies in meteorology at Pennsylvania State University.

At Penn State he began international folk dancing and Bavarian folk dancing in his spare time. This was where he met Carolyn Jeanne Smith, and they were married on Dec. 8, 1962.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in meteorology from Penn State he was commissioned a 2^nd Lt. in the U.S. Air Force, and served as a weather detachment weather forecaster and chief forecaster.  He continued his graduate studies in meteorology at New York University, was appointed an ‘advanced weather officer’ and assigned to the USAFE Forecast Center in Germany.  During his time at the USAFE Forecast Center, he served as the Forecaster Team Chief, then Chief of Quality Control, and Chief Forecaster before his final Air Force assignment as Supervisor of the enlisted weather forecaster course.

After he retired from military service, the family moved to Pennsylvania, where Mel attended Penn State and earned a teaching certificate in secondary education to teach physics, mathematics, earth science – subjects he subsequently taught in high schools.  Mel also taught two semesters of chemistry when there was no one else available.  He earned his Master’s in Earth Science, but became interested in the philosophical, historical, and sociological foundations of education, continuing on to earn his Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Policy; he also taught this subject at various Penn State campuses in the 1980s and 1990s.

Mel continued his interest in folk dancing, serving as an officer in various dance clubs. His folk-dance hobby became his raison d'être after he was fully retired from teaching. He has been a member of many different dance groups: international folk dance, contra dance, Scottish Country Dance, English Country Dance, ballroom couple dance, Irish set dance, and Bavarian/Tyrolean dance. He also amassed an extensive set of instructions, music, and videos of those different dance types.

He was predeceased by his parents and by his sister (Lennie). He is survived by his wife, Carolyn of State College; his sons, Morgan (Batja) of New Jersey, Alex of State College; brothers George Clark (Mary) and Harold Clark (Sharon) of Missouri; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held from 12pm – 2pm on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton St., State College.  Funeral service will immediately follow at 2:00 pm with Reverend Evelyn Wald officiating.

Burial will be on Thursday, February 8, 2024 at 11 a.m. in the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.