Robert Arthur Clark

Robert "Bob" Clark passed away September 28, 2010 at Banner Hospice East Mesa. He spent most of his working years doing what he loved best - being outdoors, preserving and protecting our parks and forest, a park ranger and steward of the Arizona wilderness. He was 57 years old. Bob grew up in Phoenix, but his heart was always in wilder places. His parents had built a cabin on Christopher Creek near Payson, and the childhood days Bob remembered as his happiest were the summers and weekends at the cabin spent fishing, hiking, and exploring with his siblings; these, and family trips spent hunting and camping in the West. Before Bob was out of high school, he knew the kind of life he wanted. He spent two years with his brother Gary in the Navy in between the time it took to earn his B.S. in Recreation Resource Management from Northern Arizona University. He took on seasonal work in Sedona for the National Forest Service for several years before joining Arizona State Parks in 1984. For the past 18 years, he has lived and worked in Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area. There are so many reasons why Bob left this earth with a feeling of contentment and completeness. Most of all, he was living the life that he had chosen, and he had the joy of sharing it with his wife of 21 years, Paula. Bob and Paula met in 1988 when both were working at Lyman Lake State Park. Like Bob, Paula was drawn to living in wild and beautiful places. They have made their home together in Arizona's White Mountains ever since. One of Bob's favorite places is close to Big Lake, where he and Paula camped for many years. Other places and pursuits special to Bob included the round-trip bike trip he made with friends from Phoenix to San Francisco; his many hikes in the Grand Canyon; and the five acres of trees he and Paula have lovingly tended for years on their land near Show Low. For Bob, an untouched forest held the greatest riches on earth. Nothing could equal an open sky full of stars, and stream yielding wild trout, the delights of nature, the companionship of the people he loved. Bob was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2002. At that time, he was told that at best, he had three years remaining. That wasn't enough. In the intervening years, he and Paula logged countless hours and miles to Phoenix, Los Angeles and Seattle for treatment in their attempt to secure for him the best possible odds of a longer, fuller life. Theirs was a partnership of tenacity, commitment and enormous courage; where others might have chosen to accept the inevitable, Bob pressed on. As with everything he did, Bob approached his battle with cancer with a quiet, steadfast passion. He made a profound impact on the lives of many people along the way. Bob's family enriched his life beyond measure. In addition to Paula, he is survived by his mother Patricia Clark, older sister Susan Sawdey (Bob), younger brothers, Gary Clark (Pam), Craig Clark (Jeanne), Brian Clark (Carol), Roger Clark, Kelly Clark (Linda) and Gordon Clark as well as 12 nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the memory of Bob to Angel Flight West by visiting their website at www.angelflightwest.org Memorial services will be held 1:00PM Saturday, October 9, 2010 at the Fool Hollow Lake State Park Blue Bird Ramada.