Obituaries | Week of Oct. 12, 2026
WILLIE RADFORD STRICKLAND SR.
Willie Radford Strickland Sr., 87, of Cusseta, Alabama, passed away on Oct. 11, 2026 at his residence. He was born in Chambers County, Alabama, on Oct. 20, 1938, to the late Warner and Valeria Johnson Strickland.
He was a member of Osanippa Baptist Church. He was retired from the textile industry.
Willie is survived by his wife, Brenda Ann Tittle Strickland; son, Willie Strickland Jr.; daughter, Cindy (Terry) Hester; and a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Willie was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, J.W. Strickland and Marshall Strickland; sister, Warner Mae Kelley; and daughter, Angela Strickland Sapp.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Jeff Jones Funeral Home in LaFayette assisted the family with the arrangements.
LUCIOUS “CLEVE” CLARK
Lucious “Cleve” Cleveland Clark, 68, of LaFayette, passed away on Oct. 10, 2026, at his home. Born and raised in Opelika, he was the son of the late Thomas Clark and Ruby Rozier Clark.
Cleve devoted 33 years to the Opelika Police Department, serving the citizens of Opelika from May 3, 1978, until his retirement on Dec. 31, 2011. He was sworn in as a police officer in 1982 and rose to corporal in 1989, sergeant in 1990 and lieutenant in 1992. He retired as a lieutenant, a rank he held for nearly two decades.
After retiring, Cleve enjoyed traveling with his children and grandchildren, and he lived on his farm in LaFayette until his passing. He loved farming, and he treasured boyhood memories of trips to South Georgia, where he spent happy days on the farmland of his extended family, the Stricklands. He also cherished his close network of friends and made a point of talking with them by phone every week. Above all, he loved his family fiercely and was always there when they needed him.
He is survived by his daughter, Ruby Elizabeth (Beth) Heath, and her husband, Jack Heath; his son, Bryan Cleveland Clark, and his wife, Natalie Perez Clark; his brother, Tom Clark; and five grandchildren: Lucious, Clark, Turner, and Ellis Heath; and Owen Clark. He was preceded in death by his parents.
A visitation will be held at 10 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m., on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Jeffcoat Trant Funeral Home, Opelika. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Heart Association.
