Our newest neighbors, Steve and Connie Clark, Unit #1779, have wanted to live in Huntington Woods for thirty years. When they were ready to buy their first home in Hickory, they visited this community and loved it! However, there was nothing available, so they bought elsewhere. This happened several times over the years as they changed homes, but they kept trying. Finally, their opportunity came with the purchase of Unit #1779. They are delighted to be here! Steve and Connie are both from West Virginia. He grew up in Nitro and she is from Beckley. They both attended Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia where they met in their junior year and got married in their senior year.
Congratulations to Steve and Connie because that wedding was fifty years ago!
After graduation Steve worked in Charlottesville, Virginia as a banker for eleven years, becoming a vice president. In 1986, upon feeling the calling to go into ministry, they moved to Wake Forest so he could attend Southeastern Baptist Seminary. Their next home was in Siler City, North Carolina, where he served as pastor of the Hickory Mountain Baptist Church for seven years. Later, they moved to Hickory and he held his position of minister for twenty-five years at the New Life Church in North Conover prior to his retirement.
Connie graduated with a teaching degree, but says her life and work in partnership as the sidekick to a minister was her career. In addition to working with Steve in the ministry, she managed their home and homeschooled their children.
Their son, Adam, is a paramedic for Catawba County. He and his wife, Vanessa, parent two rottweilers.
Largo, Florida is the home of their daughter, Amanda, her husband Charles, a Major in the Army, and their children, Charles, Jr., and Isabelle.
About four months ago, they sold their home and have since spent time visiting with their children and serving as missionaries on a cruise arranged by friends. In December, their family will do a Christmas cruise before Steve and Connie settle down full-time in their new home.
They have also served in mission trips all over the world, including Europe, Africa, Russia, Ukraine, and South America. To them, Republic of Chile in South America is the most beautiful of all and is a place they would have loved to live in their earlier years.
Since retirement four years ago, Steve has been busy in many other ways. He has served an interim Missionary Strategist for the Catawba Valley Baptist Association. This work has been very enjoyable for him, but he has achieved his goals and is ready to relinquish the position.
Steve is a published author of one book, with another one ready for publishing, and is busy working on a third book.
Busy as they are, they still find time for their hobbies, which for him is playing the drums at church and rugby. Connie loves entertaining and bringing people together, as well as her painting. Steve declared that Connie is an excellent and talented artist!
Both of them want their Huntington Woods neighbors to know that they want to be active helping members of our community and are ready to pitch in and help where they can. If you need a ride for a doctor visit or an errand, etc., they are there for you.
We are glad that Steve and Connie persisted over those thirty years to finally get to join us here in Huntington Woods. Welcome to them and their very friendly and loving cockapoo, Molly.