Edward Stephens Clark, Jr. , a 20-year resident of Hilo and Kea'au, passed away on May 5, 2006 in Honolulu where he had been hospitalized.
Ed Clark is survived by his son, Conrad Clark of Springfield, VA; his wife, Caroline Price Clark of Hilo; his sister, Marilyn Kauk of Raleigh, NC; his brother, Allen Clark of Lewisville, TX; an aunt, Doris Satre of Portland, OR; and three cousins: Sue Colbeck of Seattle, WA, Dr. Jean Forman of Long Beach, CA, and Bobbi DePorter of Oceanside, CA.
Ed Clark was born on June 13, 1934 in Seattle, WA, the son of the late Edward Stephens Clark, Sr., a contractor, and Evelyn Louise Clark, a registered nurse. He graduated from Berkeley High School and attended the University of Redlands from 1952 to 1955. Mr. Clark served in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Aviator, flying S2F Tracker anti-submarine aircraft from the U.S.S. Yorktown (CV-10) and reaching the rank of Lieutenant. After leaving the service, he became a pilot for United Airlines and later, during the mid-1960s, for Flying Tiger Lines, when he flew transport planes between the U.S. and South Vietnam. He and his second wife, Mirjana, raised their son in Atlanta, GA, where Mr. Clark practiced his calling as an architect.
He and his third wife, Caroline, lived in North Hollywood, CA for several years before journeying to Brisbane, Australia, where they purchased and fitted-out a 10-meter-long ocean-going catamaran they named "Sea Lark". Their adventures took them up the east coast of Australia to Papua New Guinea, to New Zealand and Fiji, through a number of the South Pacific islands, and eventually to Hawaii.
Upon settling in the Hilo area, Mr. Clark was active in local civic organizations including the Sierra Club, the East Hawaii Cultural Center, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, and the Unitarian-Universalist Organization. Politics also held a fascination for Mr. Clark, who ran for local office. During his years on the Big Island, he was an architect and engineer on a number of development and construction projects in the Puna and Hilo areas.
The memorial service, which started with an Hawaiian Pule* by Kahuna Sam Kaleleiki and sacred chants by Kahu Tarangi and eulogy by Kaliho Kanaele, was held on Saturday, May 20 at 6 p.m. at Wailoa Park, Hilo. Conrad Clark, Ed Clark's son, is flew in from Virginia, and Elizabeth Hoobler, Ed's sister-in-law and Executor of the estate, flew in from New Mexico to participate in the service. Rev. Donald Swerdfeger, Dr. J. D. Thompson and Cory Harden are coordinated the event.
The traditional private scattering of the ashes in the Pacific Ocean and at the summit of our sacred mountain, Mauna Kea, was coordinated by Dr. Thompson, Rev. Swerdfeger and Nelson Ho of the Sierra Club. Nelson is a long-time personal friend of Ed.
CLICK HERE for a photo album of the scattering of ashes and memorial at Wailoa Park prepared by Dr. J.D. Thompson. (Once there, click on any photo for an enlargement). For copies of the memorial service program, contact Conrad or Teddy.
According to Kanaka Maoli (original human inhabitants of Hawai'i), Mauna Kea is the Wao Akua, the realm of the Creator and is the Sacred Temple of theSupreme Being. It is home to Na Akua (divine deities), Na Aumakua (divine ancestors) and the meeting place of Papa (Mother Earth) and Wakea (Sky Father), the progenitors of Na Kanaka Maoli.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Edward S. Clark's name may be sent to Chris Ridley, Director of the Life Care Center of Hilo, 944 W. Kawailani St., Hilo, 96720.
* Pule: Prayer, usually in the Hawaiian language.
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Published on-line at 10 a.m. May 11, 2006. Authorized by: Elizabeth Hoobler, Ed Clark's sister-in-law, the Executor of the Estate: (505) 897-3358 and Conrad Clark, son of Ed Clark, (703) 626-2918. The temporary Hilo Contact person is Anson Chong at (808) 640-4395 Updated May 25, 7 a.m.
