The thanksgiving service for sports journalist Orville “Clarkie” Clarke takes place July 16 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church on Windward Road in Kingston.

Clarke, a prolific racing writer and champion tipster, covered thoroughbred action at Caymanas Park for The Gleaner for over 40 years. He died in Kingston on June 26 at age 73.

Anthony Clarke, the eldest of his three children, said the thanksgiving service is scheduled to start at 1:00 pm. It will be preceded by a public viewing at 12:30 pm.

Prior to working at The Gleaner, Clarke was employed for many years at Government Printing Office. During his time at the North Street newspaper, he worked alongside stalwart editors and writers on the sports desk, including Baz Freckleton, Gussie Marks, Freddie Smith, Alva Ramsay, L C “Strebor” Roberts, Tony Becca, Elton Tucker, and H G Helps.

His coverage of the racing beat was relentless and won him several awards including from the Jamaica Racing Commission in 2019 on its Hall Of Fame race day at Caymanas.

A many-time champion tipster, his versatility saw him covering cricket, football, skittles, and polo.

Clarke — who attended Kingston College — was a respected movie buff who reviewed films for The Gleaner.

Anthony Clarke, who lives in the United States, remembers his father’s disciplined approach to his job.

“That’s the thing I admired about him most, his work ethic. He was dedicated to his craft,” he said.

Orville “Clarkie” Clarke is survived by his wife Valerie; children Anthony, Ryan, and Latoya; nine grandchildren; two sisters; and one brother.

—Howard Campbell