Taylor Funeral Home

Obituaries
Clyde Douglas "Doug" Cluck
Date of Death or Service Jan 7, 2017
Clyde Douglas
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   Clyde Douglas Cluck  was born on December 9, 1936, at the home of an aunt in the Shop Springs Community of Wilson County, the only child of John Clyde and Elma Sue (Cunningham) Cluck and died peacefully January 2, 2017 at his home in Dickson.  He graduated from Watertown High School where he played football, and was elected vice president and ‘wittiest boy’ of the senior class of 1955.

   He served in the U.S. Army R.O.T.C. while a student at Middle Tennessee State College (now University).  Upon graduation with a BS in History in 1959, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, and actively served in the Adjutant General Corps as a personnel officer at Fort Benjamin Harrison (Indiana) before retiring from the USAR with the rank of Captain.

   Shortly after graduation, Doug began a 37 year career in corrections with the State of Tennessee as a juvenile probation officer.  A year after receiving his MA in Political Science from Middle Tennessee State College in 1963, he was appointed Director of Education for the Division of Youth Services.  While serving in this position, he supervised the integration of the racially segregated juvenile institutions across the state.  In 1965, he was promoted to Director of Education for the Department of Correction, adult and juvenile institutions.  In 1968, he transferred to serve as District Director for Juvenile Probation in Murfreesboro – where he supervised juvenile officers in 26 Middle Tennessee Counties, along with field offices in Nashville, Columbia and Springfield.  In 1971, Doug co-developed the Regional Prison Plan for Governor Winfield Dunn along with members of the General Assembly and the Department of Finance and Administration. Governor Dunn appointed Doug to serve as Assistant Commissioner of Youth Services in 1972.

   Fulfilling his father’s life-long dream of becoming a lawyer, Doug earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the YMCA Night Law School in 1971.  He had the distinction of serving as the Department of Correction’s first Staff Attorney in 1973.  He later returned to case work in the Murfreesboro Field Office, eventually becoming supervisor in 1985.  During this period of his career, Doug participated in a number of statewide projects such as policy development and inspection teams, authored the Manual for Pre-sentence Reports for Judge Sentencing and the Juvenile Social History Manual, and served on the legislation working group for the Board of Paroles and the Division of Field Services.

  In 1989, he was promoted to Regional Director for the Board of Paroles Mid-Cumberland Region; and, in 1993, he became Director of Paroles, overseeing the statewide system of regional and field offices with a staff of 300 officers, a position he held until his retirement in 1999.

   In 2000, Doug came full circle to his early work with juveniles when he was appointed by District Attorney General Dan Alsobrooks to serve as a part-time Assistant District Attorney for the 23rd Judicial District.  For the next 13 years, he prosecuted in the juvenile courts of the Honorable Andrew Jackson and the Honorable Phillip Maxey, in Dickson and Cheatham Counties, respectively.  He thoroughly enjoyed working with court officers, case workers and families to achieve positive outcomes for the young people with whom he came in contact and his interaction with colleagues in the DA’s office, Public Defenders, and attorneys in private practice.

   Doug was a man of strong convictions and belief regarding service to others.  Throughout his career, he was a contributing member of a number of professional organizations including the Tennessee Bar Association, the American Correction Association and the Tennessee Correction Association, of which he served as President and Executive Director.  He received the TCA Distinguished Service Award (1988), the Charles Traughber Outstanding Service Award (1989), and the Parole Professional of the Year (1995).  He was a popular trainer for many years at the Tennessee Correction Academy, providing practical knowledge, wit, wisdom and encouragement for officers from across the state.  He viewed his profession as “a high calling and a unique opportunity to serve his fellow man through efforts to return individuals to a community where they might have a second opportunity to be successful citizens.”

   Having been diagnosed and surviving extensive treatment for throat cancer in 1995, Doug was an avid supporter of the Dickson County Unit of the American Cancer Society, including the annual Cancer Crusade Radio Auction. He was invited to speak at the opening ceremony of the very first Dickson County Relay for Life in 2003.

   A student of history, Doug was honored to portray Chancellor William Leech, Sr., in the recreation of Michael Sloan’s “Two Hundred Years of Family” (the official painting for the Dickson County Bicentennial) during the 2004 Old Timers Day parade.

   Doug was quietly but deeply rooted in his Christian faith.  He strongly believed in the power of prayer and the fact that ‘you can’t out-give God.’  His ‘compass for life’ was Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”  He was a member of First Baptist Church Dickson where he taught Sunday School for many years, chaired the personnel committee and served as a greeter.

   He was passionate about UT football, science fiction (especially Star Trek!), and the awesomeness of God’s creation in the beauty and fragrance of a rose, the taste of a homegrown tomato, the brightness of the constellation on a clear night, and the tiny perfection of each of his newborn grandchildren.

   In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his first wife, Margie Elizabeth Davidson Cluck.

   He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Janet Cordell Cluck, of Dickson; daughter and son-in-law, Cynthia Ann (Cindy) and Greg Hall; son Stephen Douglas Cluck; grandchildren Ethan Elliott Hall and Erin Elizabeth Hall; mother-in-law Ann Cordell – all of Murfreesboro; and sister-in-law and brother-in-law Shirley (Cordell) and Thom Rossa, Marana, Arizona.

   The family wishes to express deep and sincere gratitude to Dr. Robert Orgain, Dr. Max Caudill, and their staffs, the Shepard family and their staff at Dickson Apothecary, and to Brenda Williams and caregivers from Renewed Living at Home Care for their compassionate and dedicated support.

   Visitation will be held on Friday, January 6, 2017 at the Taylor Funeral Home from 1pm  until 4pm and 6pm until 8pm.  Funeral services and celebration of life is scheduled for Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 1pm at the First Baptist Church with Dr. Mike Miller and, Jerry Smith officiating.  Visitation will be held at the church on Saturday beginning at 11am until the time of service.  Place of rest will be in the Union Cemetery. 
   Pall bearers:  Dan Alsobrooks, Henry Frazier, Ethan Hall, Tommy Nicks, Larry Redden, and David Shepard;  Honorary pall bearers:  Ted and Judy Ingram and Judy Redden.

   For those desiring, the family would appreciate gifts to honor Doug’s memory to the Odds & Ends Sunday School Class Benevolent Fund (FBC Dickson), the American Cancer Society, or other charity of choice.

   Services under the direction of the Taylor Funeral Home, taylorsince1909.com, (615) 446-2808.

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