Clark Edward Wise III (72) of Effingham

Clark Edward Wise III, 72, passed away Thursday, July 22, 2021, at his Lake Sara home.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 29, 2021, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Effingham with burial in Prairie View Cemetery, Savoy. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday at Bauer Funeral Home in Effingham. Memorial donations may be given to Sacred Heart Church or Effingham Family Life Center. Online condolences may be expressed by clicking here.

Clark was born October 1, 1948, in Champaign, the son of Clark Edward Wise Jr. and Mary Julia (Hartman) Wise. He graduated in 1966 from Champaign High School and later with his bachelor’s degree in 1997 from Eastern Illinois University. On June 6, 1970, Clark married Betty Sue Mattheis. Clark served with the Army National Guard and Army National Guard Reserve.

In the early years of Clark’s career, he was a project manager for Bellis Hanley of Champaign and Illini Plumbing and Heating.  Clark was the Vice President of Dever Heating and Air Conditioning. He co-founded and was president of Alpha-Numeric Systems. In 1982 Clark joined the University of Illinois as a Project Manager for the Office of Capital Programs and was promoted to Director of Technical Services. In 2003 he transferred to U of I Facilities and Services as the Director of Capital Administration and Development. Clark became the Director of Construction Management for the Champaign-Urbana campus until his retirement in 2012. Throughout his career at the University, Clark was an instrumental team member of some of the most iconic capital projects that have changed and formed the campus skyline as we know it today. Some of the noteworthy projects he was involved in included Willard Airport, Illini Union Book Store, and Memorial Stadium.

Clark enjoyed his retirement at Lake Sara with his wife, Betty. His children and grandchildren were very special to him and he cherished spending time with them.   He enjoyed game nights with his friends and working to restore and show his Mopar Muscle Cars. Clark also looked forward to his yearly fishing and family trips at the Witch Lake cabin in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Clark was a member of Sacred Heart Church in Effingham, where he served on the Buildings and Grounds Committee and on several Liturgical Ministries. He was also a member of the Ewington Chapter of SAR and an Effingham Family Life Center board member.

Clark is survived by his wife of 51 years, Betty; sons, Matthew Edward (Dori), Michael Anthony (Beth) and Mark Andrew (Melissa); grandchildren, Andrew Stephen, Nathaniel Edward, Lillian Hazel, Elizabeth Mae, James David, and Austin Jeffrey; siblings, Kathleen Wise, Karen Wise, Christopher Wise, Cynthia Grier, Kevin Wise, Constance Kelley, Charlotte Wise, and Craig Wise.  

Clark was preceded in death by his parents and grandson, Mason Eugene Wise.