Robert "Dusty" Clark, Jr.

Robert Thomas Clark Jr. of Brandon, MS died on August 24th, 2021.
Born in Montgomery, AL on April 28th 1966, he was known as Dusty to most of his friends and family. He grew up in Montgomery, attending high school at Alabama Christian Academy where he played football, basketball and baseball before graduating from Jefferson Davis High School in 1984. While there, he was a member of the renowned Davisinians choral group. After graduation, Dusty went on to Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice. While at AUM, he joined the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, where he served in a variety of roles, and where he first read Robert's Rules of Order, which he used for the rest of his life.
In 1988 he followed his father and brother into the Marines and became a Marine Corps Infantryman. He deployed to the Persian Gulf for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. During this time he served as a fire team leader in the 23rd Marine Regiment, earning the combat action ribbon and a meritorious unit commendation. His service in the Marine Corps was among the most important accomplishments of his life, and he remained an advocate and friend of Marines his entire life.
He joined the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department as a sworn Deputy in 1995. While working as a deputy, he returned to college, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Faulkner University in 2000. He became the first K9 handler for a bomb detecting dog in the department’s Special Operations Division. His daughter Lauren was born in 1999 and his son, David in 2001.
After 9/11, Dusty felt a call back into national service and he joined the newly-formed Transportation Security Administration (TSA). He quickly moved into the position of Security Manager for multiple airports in mid-South, and served as the TSA liaison to Homeland Security, participating in national level critical incident exercises. While with the TSA, he earned his master's Criminal Justice from AUM in 2005.

Robert began working in the private sector in 2006, first taking a position overseeing plant security at Mercedes Benz plant in Vance, AL and later becoming Manager of Corporate Security at Nissan Motors in Canton, MS, where he worked until his death. He began to teach criminal justice and operational security at both the University of Phoenix and Colorado Technical University and continued as an adjunct faculty member for most of the past two decades.
He made a life changing decision to return to public service, moving to take a role with the Geneva County Sheriff's Department. It was in Geneva county that he met his wife, Brandy Kissinger, and began to take the role of father to her children Kaylyn and Gavin, along with their beloved daughter Katherine who was born in 2013.
Dusty was always known as a loyal friend who would do anything at any time, including giving you the shirt off his back. He spent what spare time he had teaching and reading, or blogging and discussing geo-politics with his friend Dardin, or anyone willing to take him on. He would never tire of discussing Auburn and SEC football, and looked forward to each season with great enthusiasm. Robert's lifelong friend Evan, will one day have to say “WAR EAGLE” in remembrance of Robert.
He knew his way around a grill, and loved to cook inside as well. He loved being a father, and did everything a father can do, from taking weekend cub scout camping trips on the USS Alabama, to coaching softball to 7 year olds when he was 54 years old. He also loved his family and many friends, the Marine Corps, and Auburn University football.
Dusty was preceded in death by his parents Robert T. Clark Sr. and Loretta Davis Clark. He is survived by his beloved wife Brandy Kissinger Clark, and his children Lauren Taylor Clark, David Thomas Clark, Kaylyn Jenkins Clark, Gavin Jenkins Clark, Katherine Lynn Clark, and Jordan Booth & Ashley Carrol; his brothers Michael Clark (Susan), and Dennis Clark; Nieces and nephews, Mary Michael Clark, Harrison Clark, Anna Mitchell Clark, and Matthew Clark.

Memorial Services to be held Saturday, September 4th 2021.
Visitation with family will be 4-6 P.M. with services following.
Ott & Lee Funeral Home, 1360 W. Government St. Brandon, MS 39042
Donations may be made to the Toys for Tots Foundation.
At a later time and date, Robert T. Clark will be honored at the Alabama National Veterans Cemetery in Montevallo Alabama.