From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 6th January, 1933

MR. W. T. CLARK

A WELL-KNOWN DIRECTOR OF PASCALL’S

The death took place at Brixton on Friday, December 23, of Mr, W. Thomas Clark, a director of Messrs. Pascall, who was one of the best known and highly esteemed men in the confectionery business. For some months Mr. Clark had been in indifferent health, which a sea voyage did not improve. In November he was ordered into Guy’s Hospital, and a severe operation was performed. The trouble, however, was too deep-seated, and shortly after his return home to Brixton he died.

The funeral took place on Wednesday of last week, at West Norwood Cemetery and, in addition to the widow, the brother (Mr. H. E. Clark) and other relatives, was attended by Mr. Sydney Pascall (chairman of the Board), Mr L. H Pascall (managing director), Mr. Wilfrid H. Pascall, Mr. S. E. Perkins and Mr. A. P Jones (director of James Pascall, Ltd.), a number of the firm’s representatives, and a large number of managers and heads of departments and others, all working colleagues and personal friends of Mr. Clark, and by many prominent members of the confectionery trade, who, as customers of the firm, were also his friends. Altogether the attendance was a remarkable tribute to the esteem and affection in which Mr. W. Thomas Clark was held by all.

A REMARKABLE CAREER

Mr. Clark’s career, writes a correspondent, was both notable and interesting. It is well over fifty years ago that the late Mr James Pascall (founder of the firm), as the result of an amusing little boyish escapade he had witnessed, took on young Clark as an office boy. A real worker always, the lad soon made himself genuinely useful, and, with the growth of the business, rose step by step until he became sales manager, and later was elected to a seat on the Board of Directors.

Mr. W. Thomas Clark was remarkable for several qualities. Particularly his knowledge of the trade was unique, his memory almost uncanny. He not only knew hundreds, even thousands of the firms customers, but he was familiar also with the special character of their respective businesses. It is doubtful whether any single man in the trade has been so widely known among both wholesalers and retailers; and he was also well known to all the leading manufacturers.
Not only do the entire staff of James Pascall sadly miss their old friend, but the whole industry has lost one who in his time has rendered it yeoman service.