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For more than 50 years, Clarke led his family business, overseeing its growth from a one-man firm based out of his family garage, to an international company servicing government, commercial and residential clients. Over the past ten years, his company, led by his son John Lyell Clarke, III, played an instrumental role in combating the spread of West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne illness.
“My father was a pioneer in our industry,” said John Lyell Clarke III, president of Clarke Mosquito Control. “He helped revolutionize mosquito control through his innovation, research and his belief that he was performing a vital public service.”
“He was a true gentlemen and a respected and visionary ambassador for our industry,” said Joe Conlon, spokesman for the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA).
“He made significant contributions that helped shape our future. He will be missed.” Mr. Clarke was a second generation Clarke involved in mosquito control. His father, John Clarke Sr., developed programs for the U.S. Public Health Service at military bases during World War I and wrote legislation establishing the framework for mosquito control districts in Illinois. Inspired by his father, son John began his company as a 17-year-old out of his family’s garage in Riverside. Upon graduation from Virginia Polytech Institute, (now Virginia Tech) in 1951, he returned home to build his business. His research on the habits and biology of mosquitoes led to the development of tools to combat them. His papers, published in leading science journals, were considered groundbreaking and led to a model that pioneered the use of computers that factored in temperature, rainfall, and ground moisture to predict mosquito migration patterns and populations.
Mr. Clarke is survived by his wife of 52 years, Mary Kemp Clarke; his sons John Lyell Clarke III, Frank and Stuart; his daughter, Mary Robb; his daughters-in-law Kathy, Cara and Laura; 10 grandchildren, Katy, John IV, Robert, Joseph, Hannah, William, John, Caroline, Micheal and Elizabeth; and his sister Sally Draeger.