Richard Clark

Obituary as published in the Pioneer Press Clark Marine Emblem Richard A. “Dick” Proud Lifelong Marine 12-28-1950 ~ 1-5-2019 Passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones. Survived by his wife of 38 years, Kathy; children Michael Lelle, Dianne Meier (Tom), Melissa Clark (Scott Skiba) and Jessica Clark; grandchildren Alecia, Katie, Nikki, Andra, Ben, Kieran, Coen & Poppy, and will be missed by other relatives & friends. Service Friday, January 11th at 11:00 am at MUELLER MEMORIAL, 4738 Bald Eagle Avenue, White Bear Lake with visitation one hour before the service. Private interment Arlington National Cemetery. Memorials preferred to Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, MCSF.org Life Story Richard “Dick” Alan Clark was born on December 28th, 1950 and was fortunate to be raised by his adoptive parents, Dean and Marion Clark, in a family that we have always joked was reminiscent of Leave it Beaver. Those of you who knew him, likely remember that he was a wild and rambunctious child/adolescent who, more often than not, gave his parents much more than they bargained for. After being told they could not conceive a child on their own, Dean and Marion were over the moon for their son and not too long after welcoming him to their family, they found themselves pregnant with who would be Dicks’ brother, Bob. The boys’ picturesque childhood was filled with adventures in camping, fishing, loving animals, an adoring family and friends, and a robust community. At the young age of only eighteen, Dick joined the Marine Corps, traveling to California to embark on bootcamp training that would prepare him for the most trying endeavor of his life. He was sent to Hoi An, Vietnam where he, as a grenade launcher carrier, was sent to fight for our country. During this time he made lifelong friends with not only his fellow Marine comrades, but also some young Vietnamese people, like Tai Le, who he would continue to have a loving relationship with until the day he died. His time in combat ended with a gunshot wound to the chest and his friend, Joe Kortz, was there to help get him to safety. No one thought he would survive the trauma done to his body but nevertheless, he fought on. After a stay in a Vietnamese hospital, a naval ship and seven long months in a naval medical hospital in the Midwest, he came out very much alive and still fighting to live a full life. He first became a father to his eldest daughter, Dianne Clark, in 1973. This truest form of love was one he held closely not only with her, but with his subsequent children as well. Perhaps it was this love that drove him to eventually seek out his own birth mother. Being reunited with her son, Myrtle was so proud and in awe of her son. They instantly connected and the reunion led to him also meeting his other half-siblings he shared through is mother, particularly those who became very close to Dick and his family, Dale and Jerry. In 1980, Dick met Kathy McCoy and this beautiful love led to a 38 year marriage, the addition of his step-son, Michael Lelle, and his two daughters, Melissa and Jessica Clark. Throughout all of this time, Dick and his family were repeatedly told he wouldn’t live beyond fifty years old and yet he lived a full, beautiful life until the age of sixty-eight. He shined as a grandfather, treasuring the experience of spoiling his eight grandchildren with all of the love he could give. Nothing made him smile more and aside from his commitment to the U.S. Marine Corps, his family was his proudest achievement. While everyday was undoubtedly a hardship in terms of his physical health, Dick never complained. His strength will forever be admired and his love remembered as unending. His many friends and family will also go on remembering him for his fun attitude toward life, his generosity and his strength in facing difficulty. He will be dearly missed. Semper Fi. “I don’t lie to myself when I want to give up. I think about it, and it always comes up there’s a little left to go on.” - Richard A. Clark