News & Events

Richard Walter Clark “Dick Clark”
April 14 1936 – July 6, 2012

Richard “Dick” Clark, 76, died on the morning of July 6th, with his beloved wife, Rosemary, of 54 years, and his two children, Melissa and Cameron, by his side. Dick was diagnosed with terminal cancer this past January. He lived his final six months with a verve that reflected the vitality of his entire life.

Dick enjoyed a second home in Bend, Oregon, and worked with several Bend-Lapine School District Schools on school renewal efforts. For more than 22 years, Bend was Dick’s favourite place to be.

Dick was a gift to all who knew or worked with him. He leaves behind, now, a world, changed, better, more exceptional than it was before. Noted educator, author, administrator, and consultant, his impact was most profound upon the lives of his own children and grandchildren, as well as the lives of countless numbers of students across the Puget Sound and the rest of the country.

As an Officer in the Marine Corp, he parlayed his leadership skills into the classroom, where he earned a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Washington. Prior to launching a career as an educator, he worked as a broadcaster for various stations in both Wyoming and Washington.

Settling down and raising a family in Bellevue, Washington, he taught high school students, and undergraduate and graduate students at Seattle University, The University of Washington, and Western Washington University. He served in multiple administrative roles, including a stint as Principal of Bellevue High School, and from 1980-1991 was the Deputy Superintendent of Schools for the Bellevue Public School District.

Dick was extensively published. In addition to writing a series of award winning high school speech and English textbooks, Dick was the author of various books, articles, chapters, and occasional papers on professional development schools, school-university partnerships, curriculum, collective bargaining, school-centered decision making and administrative preparation programs.

Perhaps his most coveted and fulfilling professional experience came when he entered into partnership with luminary educator, John Goodlad. Dick worked for Dr. Goodlad as Executive Director of the National Network for Educational Renewal, and as a Senior Associate with the Institute for Educational Inquiry. Recently, John reflected about his time with Dick, stating, “I suggest someone do a study to determine how much of me is what I learned from Dick. It is substantial.” Dick was passionate about this work, about nurturing whole systems of schools to inspire a more educated and participating citizenship in our democracy. While important, it was the many personal and professional relationships he developed during this period of time, that he enjoyed the most. He would reference his time with John as life-changing.

Still, his deepest legacy, resides within the many family members he leaves behind. He is survived by his wife, Rosemary Clark; sister Nancy Balling; sister Penny Copps; brother Michael Clark; daughter and son in law, Melissa and Brian O’Neal; son and daughter in law, Cameron and Tiffany Clark; grandsons Bradley, Christoper, Jamison O’Neal, and Skyler Kruger; and granddaughters, Cecilia and Liliana Clark. Grandpa Dick will be remembered for his dedication to the entire family– attending soccer games, music performances, track meets, and taking the littlest “Clark Girls” on regular walks at Bend’s High Desert Museum. His family has organized a “Celebration of Life” scheduled for Saturday, July 28th, 2pm at St Peters United Methodist Church in Bellevue. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donations to the Trillium Foundation, a non-profit effort, that Dick helped to found, that provides shelter for the homeless. For more information about Trillium, please contact Melissa O’Neal- boneal1005@aol.com.

John Goodlad featured on Inside the Academy

Richard Walter Clark “Dick Clark”