Alfred Lee Clark

 Alfred “Lee” Clark was born October 21, 1937 and died at home on June 10, 2024. He was born in his grandparents’ home in Benton Township and delivered by his great-grandmother, one of Zion’s midwives. He was a member of the Christian Catholic Church.

He graduated from Zion-Benton Township High School in 1955 and went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, majoring in agriculture and horticulture. Later in life he graduated from Lake Forest College Industrial Management Institute. He married Josephine Refieuna of Kenosha in 1963 and their son, Michael Lee, was born in 1965. Lee worked for over 40 years at Nosco, Inc. in Waukegan as the senior customer service coordinator.

Lee was a very quiet and gentle person. He liked being around people if he could stay in the background. He never met a plant or animal he didn’t like. At the time of his death, he had 37 houseplants he was taking care of. He wanted to plant every flower, shrub, and tree native to Illinois on his property, but ran out of space for them all. He had too many hobbies to list. He loved model railroads and after retiring he spent many enjoyable hours working on genealogy. During his lifetime, he raised ducks, geese, pheasants, quail, and dachshunds. He had pet birds, dogs, a baby squirrel, and a pet snake. He especially loved keeping tropical fish, including saltwater fish.

Lee loved his family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alfred and Rhoda Clark; his wife, Josephine; and his son, Michael. 

He is survived by his sister, Susan Clark of Beach Park; daughter-in-law, Amanda Clark; and grandsons, Tyler (Morgan) and Darren Clark; also cousins Larry Puhl, Fred and John Maxwell, and Laura Maxwell Rosema. 

Visitation will be held at Congdon Funeral Home, 3012 Sheridan Rd., Zion, Illinois 60099 on Monday, June 17, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. with a service to follow at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Mt. Olivet Memorial Park in Zion, Illinois. The family is requesting no flowers or plants.