Charles Bark, Iii

Charles H. Bark III, or Chuck as he was known to everyone, passed away peacefully on Aug. 29, 2019, after a courageous battle with cancer. His beloved wife, Brenda Clark, was at his side.

Chuck was born in Watertown, N.Y., on Nov. 14, 1951, to Charles H. Bark, Jr. and Nancy Edwards Bark. He grew up in White Plains, N.Y., where he was active in the Boy Scouts and rose to the rank of Eagle Scout. He graduated from White Plains High School and received his Bachelor’s Degree from DePauw University in Indiana. He later received his Master’s in Political Communication from The University of Memphis. He then entered the television field and never left. Chuck loved everything about the news. He had a natural curiosity about everything he saw and everyone he met. He never drove down the street without coming up with a news story or met anyone without learning something about their life.

At WMC-TV in Memphis, Chuck was an investigative reporter before going into management, moving eventually to Assistant News Director. He then was News Director at WALA-TV in Mobile for many years before moving to Baton Rouge to become the News Director at WBRZ-TV. From Memphis to Mobile to Baton Rouge, Chuck made many friends along the way. Throughout his career, he was well-known for his integrity and sense of humor, his passion for investigative reporting and his commitment to supporting the next generation of broadcast journalists. He considered his proudest accomplishment to be mentoring young people and then watching them move beyond what they ever thought they could achieve. That is his legacy.

In Baton Rouge, Chuck also fell in love with the Cajun culture … the people, the music, and especially the dancing. The faster the music, the more he loved to dance. He and Brenda loved being an active part of the Dance Troupe of the Cajun French Music Association and in their retirement, spending more time together dancing and traveling in the U.S. and abroad.

In addition to his devoted wife, Chuck leaves behind daughter, Katherine Cartier-Bark, and grandson, Charlie Chandler, of Spanish Fort, Ala.; stepdaughter Britney Paige Jackson of Houston; stepson Hunter Jackson of Los Angeles; brother Douglas Bark and sister-in-law Kathleen Bark of White Plains, N.Y.; and sisters-in-law Barbara Hodges of Pasadena, Texas, and Sharon Clark of Irvington, Ala.

Visitation will be at Resthaven Gardens of Memory and Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019 from 10 a.m. to noon, immediately followed by a service celebrating his life and legacy. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or the donor’s favorite charity.