Dr. Thomas Lawrence Clarke, 80, departed this life Wednesday, June 20 at Forsyth Medical Center. He was born January 12, 1932 in Scotland Neck to the late Linward Arrington and Nettie Harris Clarke. He was a graduate of Brawley High School (1949), Hampton Institute (1953) and Meharry Medical College (1959). He served in the Army and was honorably discharged in 1955 with the rank of Second Lieutenant.

He married Mattie Slaughter in 1958, received his M.D. degree in 1959 and began his internship that same year at Wayne County General Hospital and Medical Center in Michigan. He did his OB-GYN residency at Kansas City General Hospital from 1960-1963. After completing his residency he and Mattie moved to Winston-Salem where he established his practice in Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 1967 he became the first African-American board certified OB-GYN in Forsyth County after earning his certification as a member of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology,.

He was the attending OB-GYN and later the director of Obstetrics-Gynecology at Reynolds Memorial Hospital, Senior Attending OB-GYN at Forsyth Medical Center, an attending physician in OB-GYN at Medical Park Hospital, and Assistant Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine 1979-1999. He also served as director of the Forsyth Medical Center OB-GYN division from 1976-1978. During his tenure as director he collaborated to combine the two smaller OB-GYN programs at Baptist Hospital and Forsyth Medical Center into one larger program with broader services, which helped to regionalize obstetrical care, and improve prenatal services in the Piedmont Triad.

He was a member of the American Medical Association, the National Medical Association, the Old North State Medical Society, the Twin City Medical Society, the North Carolina Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, and was a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Five office locations, 36 years and more than 5,000 babies later, he retired on September 30, 1999.

He belonged to Psi Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Bachelor Benedict, Gamma Kappa Chapter of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, the Spaulding Drive/Robinson Court Cohorts Neighborhood Association and the Winston Group. He also supported his wife as a Mule (The Moles) and a Connecting Link of Winston-Salem Links, Inc.

He was an active and long-standing member of First Baptist Church where he served for many years on the Board of Trustees.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife Mattie; his parents, Linward and Nettie Clarke; a niece, Patricia Parker; and his siblings Maggie Clarke Parker and Alonza R. Clarke. He leaves to cherish his memory his children Benita, Beverly (Bernard), and Thomas Jr.; his granddaughter, Veronique; his siblings Alphonso (Jean) Clarke and Virginia Shuford; and a host of relatives and friends.

The celebration of his life will be held at 12noon Friday, June 29, 2012 at First Baptist Church, 700 North Highland Avenue. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery. The family visitation will be held from 11am until 12noon on Friday at the Church.