Mr. Clarke was born in Danville, Virginia, but grew up in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1965 with a degree in History and as a member of the Delta Theta Phi fraternity. From there he went on to serve in the Army as a 1st Lieutenant, concluding his military career with honors in 1969. Upon his release from duty, Mr. Clarke returned to Chapel Hill to study law and earn his JD. After being admitted to the NC Bar in 1971, he went on to serve in a number of distinguished legal roles: first as law clerk for the Honorable Judge John D. Larkins, Jr. in the U.S. District Court, then as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and later as U.S. Magistrate for the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina from 1973 to 1983. In 1972, he made Fayetteville his home, where, alongside his esteemed partner Herbert Thorp, he built Thorp & Clarke. In October 2021, he was acknowledged by the NC Bar for fifty years of service. In 2023, Mr. Clarke ventured into the life of semi-retirement, remaining of counsel until his passing on August 28, 2025.