Obituary of Alfred McClure Clark, Jr.

Our father, Alfred McClure Clark, Jr. passed away on March 29, 2020 in the arms of his loving wife of more than 68 years, at their home in Rincon Point, a beach he loved.  Dad was born May 18, 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio to Alfred M. Clark and Jeannette Smith Clark.  He and our uncle Johnny grew up with our grandparents and our great-aunt Siddie, in Youngstown, Ohio, while spending time in Coconut Grove, Florida, and in Tucson, Arizona. He attended Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio and Yale University.  His time at Yale was interrupted by service in the Army Air Corps during World War II, in Panama, the Philippines and New Guinea.  Returning from the Pacific after the war he completed his bachelor’s degree in economics at Yale.  On January 26, 1952 he married our mother, May Julia Campbell, and together they raised their family, moving as a result of his career as a sales executive from Youngstown to Bronxville, New York; Riverside, Connecticut; Ladue, Missouri; and eventually settling down in San Marino, California. Mom and Dad moved permanently to their home at Rincon Point in Carpinteria in 1992. Dad loved all sports, but most of all he loved being with his family, swimming and body surfing in the Pacific Ocean and reading, at the beach or wherever he happened to be.  He is survived by our mother, his wife and best friend, Judy, and their children Julie Burge (Jim), Al III (Sue), Jennie and Dave (Angelica), their grandchildren, Andrew (Caitie) and David (Janessa) Burge, John (Lorelí), Stevie (Jackie) and Janie Clark, and Alexandra and Natalie Clark, and their great-grandson, Mateo Campbell Clark. Dad was a force of nature, a man of strong opinions, forcefully expressed with his ever present sense of humor and kindness, even for those with whom he disagreed. We are fortunate to have been raised by Dad and Mom, experienced their partnership and love, and we know Dad will continue to be an important part of all of our lives.  Our thanks go to Senior Helpers in Santa Barbara and Hospice of Santa Barbara for helping Mom care for Dad the past six months. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to VNA Health Foundation, 509 E. Montecito Street, Suite 200, Santa Barbara, California 93103.