By Harriet Muhrlein
KINGSTON — Members of North Kitsap High School’s Class of 1952 are remembering classmate William Michael Clarke, who died June 13.

Mike Clarke and his family moved from Seattle to Kingston before he began high school. He attended North Kitsap High through 1951. His family then to Port Ludlow and he graduated from Chimacum High School in 1952.

He attended Western Washington College in Bellingham, majoring in physical education and minoring in art. He returned to the area to teach and coach in Jefferson County, moving to Chimacum High School in 1964.

After his official retirement in 1988, he returned to painting (and continued fishing for salmon, coaching middle school students and substituting). He enjoyed painting anthropomorphic critters engaging in human endeavors. Some of his works are spoofs of works by famous painters. Mike died very suddenly and unexpectedly about two days after placing some of his prints at the Poulsbohemian. One of the prints is a spoof of Gauguin’s “Tahitian Paradise” titled “Tahitian Bearadise.” Another is of a wire-haired terrier with her coffee, entitled, “Wired.”

The memorial service for Mike Clarke is scheduled for July 7, 1 p.m., in the Chimacum High School Gym. A public potluck and celebration of his life will follow at 4 p.m. at the Elks Lodge.

The North Kitsap High School Class of 1952 will have its 60th reunion on June 30.