91 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com Between 5:30-6 a.m., the boys were up and ready for Clark to come back and pick them up in the golf cart. “He had a loud, heavy voice – you couldn’t mistake it for anyone else,” Greg laughed. “He’d call out for us and we’d head over to the club to do whatever was needed so we could go out to the course and pick the best spot for watching the tournament. We were up so early that no one else would be out there yet except the landscapers.” Greg, who called his dad “Chef” from a very young age, said that Clark loved the responsibility for what he did and never walked away from long hours or the demands of the job. Clark’s commitment never faltered because he believed an honest day’s work would bring about longevity. That, and “He felt he was put on this earth to share love through food with all walks of life. Everybody loved him.” Greg’s sister Terra added, “Daddy instilled in us that you have to respect everybody, no matter what they have or don’t have. He treated the CEO the way he treated the janitor. And he always put others before himself.” our sports For example, Terra said, when the power was out after Hurricane Hugo in 1989, Clark cooked the best food – even steak – on the gas grill and served the entire neighborhood breakfast, lunch and dinner for four straight days. Terra added that Clark spent a great deal of time in the kitchen whenever he was home. Her favorite was his collard greens and fried egg sandwich with Duke’s Mayo. “It was perfect every time,” she said. For Clark’s oldest son Stanley, Chef’s sauteed seabass was the best. “It melted in your mouth – I have yet to taste fish that good again,” he said. In 2002, Clark passed away unexpectedly. His legacy, synonymous with husband, father, friend, chef and golfer, lives on in memoriam as a true champion beyond the kitchen and the game he loved to play. “It’s one thing to honor Chef on Father’s Day or his birthday,” Greg concluded. “But the week of The Masters always hits home. Somehow, though, we get through it together.” 1975 – Lee Elder qualifies to become the first Black player to play in The Masters. 1990 – The first Black member, Ron Townsend, was invited to join Augusta National. 1994 – Nathaniel Wearing started working under Clark at Augusta National. 1976 – Clark promoted to executive chef at Augusta National. 1997 – Tiger Woods wins his first Masters. 2002 – Clark passed away unexpectedly. 1998 – Tiger Woods hosts his first Champions Dinner for past Masters’ winners. 2012 – The club’s first female members, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and financier Darla Moore, were inducted.
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