David Clark, 73, entered into rest surrounded by his loving family on Wednesday, January 4, 2017, at The Alexander Cohen Hospice House in Hughson. He was born on November 26, 1943, in Dayton, Kentucky and grew up in Kelsey after his parents moved west to California.  In heaven, he joins his parents, Marie and George Gregory, as well as three siblings; Carol, Joseph, and Jeep.
    David leaves behind his beloved wife of 48 years, Kathleen Clark of Salida; his children Shelli Stoner of Modesto, Steven Clark (Leslie) of Ripon, Susan Brown (Gregory) of Riverbank and Stephanie Clark of Salida. He also leaves behind a sister, Anna Morrison (Bill) and brother James Clark Jr.  David was blessed with six grandchildren; Justin Stoner, Kayla Stoner, Lacey Clark, Elizabeth Clark, Joshua Clark, Krista Brown and three great-grandchildren, Allyson, Aiden and Maddison.
   Although David lived out the final years of his life in Salida, he considered Manteca his true home where he lived and raised his family for 30 years. From 1962-1965, he served his country with pride and honor as a Boiler Technician assigned to the U.S.S. Piedmont in the United States Navy. His tour included stops in Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, and the South China Sea.  After an honorable discharge in 1965, David began working for Libby-Owens Ford Glass Factory until being laid-off after 14 years of service.  Through perseverance and hard work, he maneuvered his way into a Boiler Operator position at Spreckels Sugar Company, utilizing the skills that he acquired in the U.S. Navy, where he worked for 15 years until they closed their doors.  Without a complaint, he started over for the third time, eventually landing a Boiler Operator position at Stanislaus Foods where he worked for nine years.  
   First and foremost, David loved his family. He was a devoted husband and an outstanding father and grandfather.  One of his proudest moments was being baptized as a believer in our Lord and Savior and reading the Bible.  He enjoyed camping, fishing, working on cars, listening to country music and cheering on his favorite football team, the Los Angeles Rams. David’s legacy is that he instilled in his children and modeled a life built around compassion, perseverance, commitment, a strong work ethic, and love.  He will be remembered for his kindness, gentle spirit and as a peacemaker. His was a life well-lived. 
   P.L. Fry is honored to serve the Clark family. A visitation will be held on Sunday, January 15, 2017, from 1p.m. to 5p.m. A chapel service will be held on Monday, January 16, 2017, at 10 a.m. at P.L. Fry and Son Funeral Home, 290 North Union Road, Manteca, CA. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony on Tuesday, January 17, 2017, at St. John’s Catholic Cemetery, Escalon, CA.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation in his honor to one of his favorite charities: Wounded Warrior Project: https://woundedwarriorproject.org  or  The Make-A-Wish Foundation:  http://wish.org    

Salida/Manteca
Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin
Friday, January 13, 2017