Memorial
Jack Townsley Clark, 94, formerly of Cedar Rapids, IA, joined his wife Darla and son Todd and many other relatives and great friends with our Lord in Heaven on March 28, 2026. We’re sure he had a joyful reunion with Darla and Todd and is once again the intelligent, humorous, fun loving, caring, devoted and protective man, that he was in his life on earth.
It takes a very special man to adopt his new wife’s children and embrace them wholly as his own, which is a testament to how much he adored Darla. He devotedly loved and cared for his children and blessed grandchildren who gave him so much joy.
Jack was the second born son of Shirley and Marian Clark, born on 2/29/1932 in the small town of Washington, IA. They relocated to Cedar Rapids where he and his brother, Dave, grew up and graduated from McKinley High School.
Jack was in his 4th year of college at the University of Iowa, when he was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. He was stationed in Ft. Carson, CO. Always a great salesman, he negotiated his way to the position of Supply Sargent. During his free time, Jack fell in love with skiing, using a pair of wooden skis from the supply shack. He would spend hours strapping them on, skiing down hills and climbing back up, carrying them over his back. Skiing became one of his life-long passions, that defined much of his life.
Once discharged, Jack moved back to Cedar Rapids where he joined his father Shirley, selling insurance for Illinois Mutual Life and Casualty Company. Many stories were shared of him heading out very early in the morning to catch farmers in their fields before they began work for the day to sell them various policies. Eventually, Jack started his own Insurance Agency and had several agents in towns across IA.
Jack’s business became very successful under his guidance which allowed him to enjoy his favorite hobbies. A bachelor until he married Darla at 38, Jack enjoyed sailing with his brother and skiing in Europe and Colorado with his brother’s family and his great friends.
When he married Darla in 1970, they honeymooned in Colorado where he taught her to ski. The whole family eventually became skiers and sailors, racing in regattas on Lake McBride and other lakes in IA, as well as the Mississippi River.
Jack and Darla eventually fell in love with the Mississippi and purchased a summer cottage on Abel Island in Guttenberg, IA. They spent most weekends during the summer there, sailing or motorboating to favorite sand bars, restaurants and waterskiing spots in the backwaters. They actually made several trips by boat up river, once all the way to the mouth of the Mississippi in MN.
Their winters were spent either skiing various resorts with relatives and friends, or seeking warmer locations, mostly in the Caribbean and Siesta Key, FL. A highlight vacation was a helicopter skiing trip Jack took to Banff in Alberta, Canada. This involved being dropped off by helicopter at the top of the mountain and skiing in deep, fresh powder on terrain which took the entire day to get back down to the base. Jack truly had a very full life, with his family, friends, travel, social lives and lots of parties!
Jack and Darla moved to CO in 2020 to be close to their daughter, Kris, after the Derecho in Cedar Rapids left their Independent Living Apartment unhabitable.
Jack is survived by his 95 year-old brother, Dave Clark, Denver, CO; his daughter Kristin Walker (John), Littleton CO, their children Collin Clark Walker, Scottsdale AZ; Rachael Michelle Walker, Denver, CO; his other grandchildren, Quinn Clark (Laura) Overland Park, KS, and their young children Jack Townsley Clark II and Hattie June Clark; Taylor Compo (Jesse) Evergreen, CO and their newborn daughter Liliana Grace Compo; his brother in law Darby Moeller (Carol) Walnut Creek CA, and several nieces and nephews and their families.
Jack was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife Darla and son Todd; his brother-in-law Arlyn Moeller and wife Lea; and sister-in-law Joan Clark.
Jack will be inurned next to Darla at Cedar Memorial Park Mausoleum. He will be greatly missed along with Darla and Todd.