Barry Howard Clark

Barry Howard Clark, age 71, passed away on Tuesday August 31st, 2021.  He was born on March 20th,1950 in La Crosse, WI, where he resided for much of his life. He was the middle of three sons to Lois Dawson and Theron Clark. He was witty, whimsical and spoke fluent sarcasm. He was a goofball and a dreamer at heart. He was a stoic that never took anything too seriously.  Barry received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cal state University in Long Beach in 1977, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Philosophy.  After college he worked with troubled youth at Clearwater Ranch in Philo California.  He would often take the kids on all day hikes in the mountains. He once had a pet raccoon that would sit on his shoulder.  He was cool like that.  He loved all things artistic, athletic, and loved the outdoors.  He was a gymnast in his early years and carried that athleticism into the rest of his life. He had various construction jobs all his life, and eventually founded his own construction company with his brother Chris, called Clark Construction. He was a true and talented craftsman and artist.  He painted, drew, loved singing, bluegrass music, and playing the harmonica. He married Cheryl Landgraff in 1984, and while they divorced in 1996, he is survived by the three daughters he and Cheryl shared, Kelly Jo, Rachel, and Samantha, as well as his granddaughter Hadley, and his older brother, Lane.   Parkinson’s is a relentless and unforgiving disease, as Barry found out over the past 25 years, but he never let his disease define him or stop him from living life as fully as possible.  He was hard working, about as stubborn as they come, and driven.  He did everything he could for his three girls and had been known to say: “insanity is hereditary, you get it from your kids,” followed by a silly face and a sly chuckle.  He made the girl’s lives the stuff of fairy tales by designing and building them a beautiful house in 1997 in Brice Prairie, WI.  The house was big and spacious with huge windows and rooms that were fancifully large and was complete with a lookout tower.  He let the girls put a full-sized trampoline in the dining room for several weeks, which is every kid’s dream. He was incredibly proud of that house.  His daughters have some of their favorite memories there with him.  He was a terrible and excellent cook all at once, depending on the dish. He loved healthy food, homemade pizza, and Little Debbie’s. He was a believer in the unbelievable, the paranormal, and the mystical.  He never took anything too seriously, especially rules, and liked to color outside the lines.  He always did his best to look at the bright side of things, despite the cards he had been dealt. He will be missed tremendously, and he will be remembered by all who knew him for all the good times and wonderful memories. "Goodbye is not forever.  Goodbye is not the end.  It simply means I’ll miss you, until we meet again".