Earl W. Clark Jr.

Wynantskill – Earl W. Clark, Jr., 89, aka “Bill” or “Duke”, longtime resident of Zelenke Drive, passed away peacefully at St. Peter’s Hospital on Saturday, August 22, 2026.

Born in Troy, Earl was the son of the late Earl W. Clark, Sr. and Bertha E. (Hart) Clark. He was raised in Troy, graduating from Troy High School.

At just 16 years old, Earl entered the United States Army for a 26-year military career through both active duty and reserve service. He achieved the rank of Captain and Green Beret in the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

He married the love of his life Carol Ann Fountain of Troy, August 16, 1958 enjoying 51 years of love, happiness and unwavering devotion.

Throughout his working years, Earl was known for his strong work ethic. He was a skilled carpenter for R&R Ruffinen Builders, building their dream home with Carol and raising their two sons. He then was a shift supervisor for UPS before beginning a long career as shop foreman with Crawford Door and Window in Rensselaer, from which he ultimately retired.

In addition to his parents and wife, Earl was predeceased by his siblings, Mary (Fred) Jones, Dorothy (Robert) Drinkwine, Jean (Clarence) Shumway, Beverly (Harry) Phillips, Joan (Gordon) Greene, and Patricia (Foster) Garrett.

He is survived by his sons, William D. (Lisa) Clark and Steven D. (Katherine) Clark; his grandchildren, Stacy (Tim) Scaligeri, Sydney Clark, and Kayla Clark; and his great-granddaughter, Samantha Scaligeri, whose arrival is expected in November 2026. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, August 28, 2026, at the W.J. Lyons, Jr. Funeral Home, 1700 Washington Ave. Rensselaer, NY 12144. Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Earl's family, prior to the service on Friday, from 4:00-7:00 p.m.

Earl will be inurned in Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, Third Ave. Ext. Rensselaer, NY on Friday, September 4th at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Lucky Puppy Rescue in Earl’s name to support finding homes for dogs. www.theluckypuppy.org