Edmund Clarke

Edmund M. Clarke, 75, of Mt. Lebanon, PA passed away on December 22, 2020 from Covid-19.  He was a 1963 graduate of Smithfield High School and married his high school sweetheart, Martha W. Clarke, in 1968.  He was extremely proud of his three sons:  Dr. James S. Clarke (wife, Lori) of Portland, OR; Dr. Jonathan E. Clarke (wife, Katie) of Decatur, GA; Dr. Jeffrey M. Clarke, MD (wife Shannon) of Durham, NC.  He adored his grandchildren: Theo and Alex, Andrew and Emily, Harrison and Elliott.  He is also survived by his sister, Nancy Clarke Verdirame (husband, Joe) of Suffolk, VA, a niece and two nephews, and several cousins.  He is predeceased by his parents Edmund and Evelyn Clarke of Smithfield, VA.

He received degrees from UVA, Duke, and Cornell.  He taught at Duke, Harvard, and Carnegie Mellon Universities and retired in 2015.  He was an internationally known computer scientist.  He won some of the field’s highest honors, including the ACM Turing Award and the Bower Award for Achievement in Science from the Franklin Institute.  He was also elected to the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

However, he was Dad at home.  He instilled in each of his sons the joy of learning.  He enjoyed helping them with science projects and was always encouraging them to take more math classes.  He loved reading, fishing, movies, and building models.  His love of family grew with the addition of each grandchild.  His last words to Martha were “I love you.”

A memorial service was held at Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church on December 28.  Burial will be at Uzzell United Methodist Church in Smithfield, VA on June 26^th and will be private.  Local arrangements are being handled by Little’s Funeral Home.  Online condolences may be registered at www.littlesfuneralhome.com.