Mark Stuart Clanton, M.D., M.P.H.'s Obituary
Mark Stuart Clanton was a good man who valued family and friends and enjoyed stimulating intellectual conversations. He was the eldest child of five children born to the union of Dr. Lemuel and Barbara Guy Clanton. Shortly after Mark’s birth on October 13, 1955, in Nashville, Tennessee, his family moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where his father practiced medicine for over 50 years, and his mother was a public school educator. Mark was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Justine Clanton Gueno. With his family by his side, Mark passed on September 8, 2022.
Like his father, Mark pursued a career in medicine. He graduated from Brother Martin High School, New Orleans, LA in 1974, where he first displayed his passion for questioning the status quo by staging a food fight to improve the cafeteria food. As the Debate Team Captain in high school and a 1st Place City of New Orleans Catholic Forensic League: Orator, Mark earned a scholarship to pursue his undergraduate degree in Biology at Howard University. During his time at Howard, Mark was a member of the Kappa Chi Scientific Honor Society and the Beta Kappa Chi Scientific Honor Society. He received his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine. Mark was an avid learner and obtained a Corporate Finance certificate from Southern Methodist University, Cox School of Business, and, a Master of Public Healthcare Policy and Management from Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, where he later became President of the Harvard School of Public Health Alumni Association, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Harvard University Alumni Association.
Mark completed his residency in Pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, and began practicing medicine at Parkland Memorial Hospital Community Oriented Primary Care Program at the Carver Clinic in West Dallas. As a board-certified Pediatrician, Mark later practiced with Kaiser Permanente in Dallas. Upon completing his M.P.H., Mark was the Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Pharmacy Programs at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. He subsequently became the Deputy Director at the National Cancer Institute and Deputy for Cancer Career Delivery System at the National Institute for Health in Bethesda, MD, where he led the NIH/NCI response in his hometown of Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Mark and his family moved to Austin TX when he became the Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society High Plains Division. Mark also served as Medical Director for TMF Health Quality Institute and Accenture Operations and its affiliate Radiant LLC and served as a strategic advisor for the California Breast Cancer Research Program, the National Council of the Institute of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis, the External Advisory Board Siteman Cancer Center, and the KU Cancer Center. A full circle moment occurred in 2020 when Mark became the Chief Medical Officer of the Parkland Community Health Plan resulting in his family’s return to Dallas. Mark also authored and co-authored numerous articles that were published in several medical journals.
Mark was a well-known volunteer and advocate for the delivery of health services, especially for those who experienced different forms of cancer. He served on the National Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society for over six years and was a 20-year volunteer of the organization holding numerous positions, including President of the High Plains Division and National President-Elect. Mark served on the Dean’s Leadership Council of the School Alumni Association and chaired the School of Public Health Alumni Award Committee.
Mark Clanton was the recipient of numerous awards and honors including receiving the National Institutes of Health, Director’s Award of Merit for Outstanding Contributions to the NIH “Effective” program; Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; St. George Medal, National Cancer Control Award by the American Cancer Society. He was the recipient of other awards acknowledging his contributions to the delivery of health services.
Mark enjoyed serving as a mentor for young men going to college. Through his volunteer work with the Alpha Epsilon Chapter of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity in Dallas, he hosted students and their parents in his home offering guidance on their academic journey.
Mark often joked that his 1986 marriage to Cynthia Yvonne Watkins was a strong coincidence considering both parents knew each other in undergraduate and graduate schools. Mark met Cynthia immediately upon her arrival in Houston, where Mark was completing his residency program. Three sons were born to Mark and Cynthia’s union: Mark Jr., Douglas, and Andrew. Mark never missed an opportunity to share how proud he was of all his sons.
Family was important to Mark. Upon his return to Dallas, he thoroughly enjoyed hosting large family holiday gatherings and monthly family dinners. It was important to Mark to be active in their lives, and he enjoyed their lively conversations. Mark was known for his everlasting support of the New Orleans Saints and would often record each Sunday football game so that he could rewatch it daily until the following week’s game. He loved technology, the latest Apple gadgets, good food, good wine, and good fellowship. In the remarks that he made at his mother’s funeral in 2012, Mark spoke to his sons and said, “And lastly my dear sons, I pray that when the time comes for me to rest, that you will stand and say because your father and mother love you in the best way that they could, that: “It’s ok Dad, I’ve got this” so that I can be at peace.”
In addition to his wife and sons, Mark is survived by his sisters, Lynn Choptovy (Leo) and Leslie Harden, brother, Lemuel Clanton, MD, (Ofelia), in-laws, Myron and Barbara Lord Watkins, sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Watkins Goodman (Charles), and Ann Marie Watkins Wallace, brother-in-law, Myron H. Watkins, Jr., godchild, Kirsten Scott Bell and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
Funeral arrangements for Mr. Mark Stuart Clanton have been faithfully entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Cemetery, which is located at 13005 Greenville Ave., at the intersection of Restland Road, Dallas, Texas 75243, and can be reached at (972) 238-7111.
Service:Thursday, September 15th, 2022@02:00 PM
Memorial Chapel at Restland Memorial Park
13005 Greenville Ave
Dallas, TX 75243
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