Orville Clarke was a dedicated writer

Orville Clarke, The Gleaner’s racing writer from 1982 until ill health forced him to retire four years ago, passed away yesterday at age 73 in the MonaCare Nursing Home in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew.

Clarke began his association with sports journalism in 1977, while employed at the Government Printing Office in Kingston.

He combined both jobs for five years before joining The Gleaner as a freelancer and taking the role of the newspaper’s main racing writer in 1982. Clarke, a Kingston College old boy, would fill that post almost non-stop for more than 35 years until he suffered a stroke in 2017. He also spent a long time as the main writer for the official racing magazine Track & Pools.

While horse racing was his main beat, Clarke was a very versatile sports journalist and covered numerous other sports, including football, cricket, table tennis, boxing, field hockey, track and field, polo, tennis and bodybuilding.

He was also an avid moviegoer and did reviews for The Gleaner on numerous occasions during the 1980s and ‘90s.

Speaking from Atlanta, Georgia yesterday his eldest son, Anthony, described his father as ‘a great person who was friendly and who people in his community looked up to’.

As The Gleaner’s racing writer, Clarke also worked very closely for many years with former director of racing at Caymanas Park, Chris Armond.

Armond, yesterday, described him as the ‘ultimate professional’.

“I am very sorry to hear that Orville has died,” Armond said when he was told the sad news late yesterday. “He was a wonderful human being, very dedicated. I know he has not been around for a while but we will still miss him. Condolences to members of his family.”

Clarke’s former supervisor at The Gleaner, Elton Tucker, who worked alongside him from 1981 to 2017, highlighted the former writer’s dedication to his craft.

“Orville was an excellent, dedicated, dependable sports writer, who was always willing to share his knowledge with new members of the desk. He was an all-around sportsman who would accept assignments in any sport, as long as there was no racing. On Sundays, therefore, he would cover football, cricket or polo. On Saturday nights, he would accept boxing or bodybuilding assignments. My deepest condolences to his family, especially wife Valerie and his three children,” said Tucker.

Clarke leaves behind his wife Valerie and three adult children, Anthony, Latoya and Ryan. They reside in the United States.