A celebration of life for Felton resident Michael Ray Clark, 50, will be Saturday, May 4, in Scotts Valley. He died in an accident April 19.
Mr. Clark was born at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz and grew up in Felton. He attended San Lorenzo Valley schools and graduated from San Lorenzo Valley High School in 1981. He attended Sequoia Junior College in Visalia and received his AA degree while earning a private pilots license.
After graduating from California State University, Fresno, in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in geography and completing officer’s training in the ROTC, Mr. Miller joined the United States Air Force.
Most of his military time was spent in Little Rock, Ark., where he served with the Mobile Air Lift Command, and at Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento. His passion was navigating in B-52s and flying C-130s. He was honorably discharged at the rank of captain in 2005.
Mr. Clark became a general contractor. He also worked in property management, as home inspector and a licensed realtor, and started his own business, named Mt. Whitney Mortgage, as a mortgage loan officer.
Family said Mr. Clark’s adventurous spirit and love of the outdoors ignited his love of travel, boating, backpacking, camping and exploring. He backpacked throughout Yosemite and Sequoia Nation Parks and once hiked up Mount Whitney. He enjoyed studying military history and was an advocate for military veterans.
Mr. Clark is survived by his father, Robert E. Clark; brother Robert J. Clark; and many cousins, uncles and nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Myrna Clark.
Saturday’s celebration of life will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Moose Lodge, 2470 El Ranch Drive, in Scotts Valley. He will be honored by military burial at the Felton Cemetery with his immediate family and friends.
Contributions in Mr. Clark’s name can be made to United States Department of Veterans Affairs at www.va.gov, or by calling the San Jose Regional office at 408-993-0729 in honor of Mike Clark.
