Clark Kenneth Baumgardner

1929 - 2018

Clark Kenneth Baumgardner July 30, 1929 - March 25, 2018 San Diego Clark Kenneth Baumgardner, the oldest living native of Leucadia, passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday, March 25th, 2018. He was the youngest child of Everette Lee and Mabel Florence Baumgardner. He was born in the "Homestead" our grandfather had built for our grandmother in the 1920s. A Spanish revival-style home, it still sits at the top of Hillcrest Drive in Leucadia; and is as pretty today as it was when it was first built. Everette Lee was a master carpenter and a well-known evangelist. According to Dad, he woke up preaching and went to bed preaching. All of Grandpa's preaching sure paid off because Dad spent the rest of his life avoiding church at all costs. His mother Mabel died when he was only 18 years old. He was very close to his mother and her death affected him deeply. Clark spent his childhood in the small tight knit community of Leucadia. He spent much of his time hunting ducks and deer at the Batiquitos Lagoon. Knott's Berry Farm was just "up the road" and he would take bags of avocados to trade for homemade berry pies. As a young man he built fences for film icon Douglas Fairbanks and won a horse in a gambling debt from Bing Crosby. He was in one of the first graduating classes of San Dieguito High School. Also, he enjoyed off-road racing, riding in the first ever Baja 500 and in the iconic Las Vegas race, the Mint 400. An accomplished welder, mechanic and 3rd generation master carpenter, Clark was a licensed contractor, who learned how to build houses from his father; who in turn had learned from his father. He built one of the towers at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and later his own home in Rancho Santa Fe. As a true plantsman, Clark was knowledgeable in all things green. His garden and orchards had something growing in them year round. He could walk through a field and tell you which plants were indigenous and how the native Californians had once used them. Dad looked forward to catching the Padres game on TV and spending Thursday nights having family dinners. There was nothing he enjoyed more than watching his grandchildren grow up. He was thrilled to be a grandfather again in his 80s and grateful for every moment he had spent with his youngest grandchild as well. The Great Depression left an indelible mark on Dad. Like most men of his era, he believed in working hard, buying American-made and minding your own business. Clark spent his whole life working outside and remained physically strong well into his 80s. He had a great sense of humor and a generous heart. He was always quick to help someone, either offering a place to stay, or a few dollars to get them back on their feet. To us, he seemed to be the strongest man in the world. We never thought he would grow old or get frail. As little girls, he would hoist us up on his shoulders and carry our sleeping bodies like sacks of potatoes from the car to our beds. He was not perfect, but he was our dad and we loved him. He was to us perfectly imperfect, a force of nature, our dad, Clark Baumgardner. Ladies' man, avocado expert, snappy dresser our dad, Clark. Clark is survived by four generations. All of his children, all of his grandchildren, all of his great-grandchildren and even all of his great-great-grandchildren.