John Clark Hudson, Jr., 86 passed away Monday, Jan. 17, 2022, at his home in Sardis.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m.  Saturday, Jan. 22,  in the Martin Willingham Memorial Chapel of Wells Funeral Home with an interment service beginning at 2 p.m. at Blocker Cemetery in Olive Branch. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service on Saturday. PER THE FAMILIES REQUEST, MASKS ARE RECOMMENDED BUT NOT REQUIRED.

John Clark Hudson, Jr. P.E. was born Nov. 13, 1935, to John “Clark” Hudson and Elizabeth Doddridge Hudson at the Methodist Hospital in Memphis.  Maternal grandparents were Benjamin Frankling Doddridge and Julia Dunn Doddridge of Olive Branch. Paternal grandparents were Rosalia Keelen Hudson and John Allen Hudson of Denmark, Tennessee.

John Clark, “John” or “Rock” as he was sometimes called, was raised in Olive Branch and was educated in the Olive Branch Public Schools, Northwest Mississippi Jr. College and the University of Mississippi, where he received his BSME in Mechanical Engineering.

After receiving his engineering degree, he was associated with Allen and Hoshall Consulting Engineers in Memphis with a short stint with Hufft, Ragon and Valentine Consulting Engineers. Here, he was associated with the design of the mechanical systems for the 100 North Main Building and others. At Allen and Hoshall, he was associated with the design of mechanical systems for the Memphis Airport Terminal, The Memphis Light, Gas and Water Headquarters Building, the Cook Convention Building, several projects at the Methodist and Baptist hospitals, the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama and many others.

In May of 1970, he opened the office of John Clark Hudson Consulting Engineers in Sardis, Mississippi, where he was associated in the designs of many notable (and some not so notable) building projects throughout Mississippi and the surrounding areas. Among the more notable projects were the 1980 renovation of the Mississippi State Capitol Building in Jackson, additions to the Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, the Mississippi Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, renovations and additions to the Veteran’s Hospital in Gulfport, several projects at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, the Mississippi State Mental Hospital at Whitfield, the Desoto County School, the William Faulkner Home (Rowan Oak), other projects at the University of Mississippi and many more healthcare, educational, government, industrial, commercial and religious projects.

John Clark was licensed to practice engineering in Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Arkansas, Alabama, and Louisiana. He was a member of the Ole Miss Alumni Association where he was instrumental in the formation of the Panola County Chapter and the Engineering Alumni Chapter where he served as President for two years. He also served as a member of the General Alumni Association for twelve years.

John Clark leaves his wife of 64 years, Diane Schroeder Hudson and their three children, John Clark Hudson, III (Karen) of Olive Branch, Mark Allen Hudson (Lucretia) of Sardis,  and Elizabeth “Beth” Hudson Heisig of Sugarland, TX.

Grandchildren include Amy (Steve) of Tarpon Springs, FL, Jessica (Matt) of Olive Branch,   John Clark IV (Katy) of Biloxi, James Randall (Darian) of Nesbit, MS, AnnaBeth and Ashlyn of Sugarland, TX. He also leaves behind 7 great-grandchildren, his brother, Harold Keelen Hudson, MD (Sandra) of Tupelo,  and hopefully many friends.

Friends and family are invited to come and celebrate the life and passing of John Clark with the knowledge that he has gone to be with the Lord and remember that he tried to live with the old Burl Ives song, “When You Go Through Life, Make This Your Goal – Watch The Donut Not The Hole”.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis,  or Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church in Sardis.