Racing writer Orville Clarke is dead

Orville Clarke, The Gleaner's racing writer from 1982 until ill health forced him to retire four years ago, passed away on Saturday, June 26 at age 73 in the MonaCare Nursing Home in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew.

Clarke began his association with sports journalism in 1977, while employed at the Government Printing Office in Kingston.

He combined both jobs for five years before joining The Gleaner as a freelancer and taking the role of the newspaper's main racing writer in 1982. Clarke, a Kingston College old boy, would fill that post almost non-stop for more than 35 years until he suffered a stroke in 2017. He also spent a long time as the main writer for the official racing magazine Track & Pools.

While horse racing was his main beat, Clarke was a very versatile sports journalist and covered numerous other sports, including football, cricket, table tennis, boxing, field hockey, track and field, polo, tennis and bodybuilding.

He was also an avid moviegoer and did reviews for The Gleaner on numerous occasions during the 1980s and '90s.

Clarke leaves behind his wife Valerie and three adult children, Anthony, Latoya and Ryan. They reside in the United States.