Victoria Renee Clark

1970 - 2016

Victoria Renee Clark

May 15, 1970

May 28, 2016

Victoria Renee Clark, 46, died on May 28, 2016 at her home in Sparks, NV. She was born May 15, 1970 in Syracuse, NY to Jay Gabbard and Dorothy Nash, who was attending college there. Moving back to Reno, Vicki met her "best cousin, Kelli" and was adored by the Nash/Feroah clans. At age three, Vicki moved to Sacramento so Mom could study "salts and batteries" in law school. She quickly became the "mascot" of McGeorge Law School and acquired a life-long extended family, including Kathy Mullarkey, her Mom's BFF. Her parents divorced in 1977. Vicki and Dorothy returned to Reno for her elementary school and Mom's new law career.

In 1982, Vicki found her father-to-be, Michael H. Holmes, 26, on a "Jolly Roger" pirate ship dinner cruise in Barbados. She danced her way into Michael's heart. Michael and Dorothy married in July 1983 in Reno, and he adopted Vicki three days later, moving the family to Paris, for his offshore construction-engineering job. Vicki attended middle school at the Lycee International, igniting her love of dance and French. In 1984, Mike's job moved them to Kuwait, where 15-year-old Vicki attended the American School of Kuwait, excelling in academics, basketball, volleyball and softball. She also lovingly welcomed her baby brother, Zachary, into the family, vowing to protect him all his life and she did. Vicki loved to travel in Europe and the Middle East, proclaiming herself "a student of the world" and ensuring that Kelli was introduced to it, too. In 1985, the family returned to the USA. Vicki finished at Northgate High School a year early, going on to earn a Bachelor's Degree in French Studies from Northwestern University near Chicago.

For the next 10 years, the eclectic, curious adventurer was an omelet chef, a recipe-tester, a software technical writer in Chicago, a magazine editor/publisher in Austin, TX, and worked the Box Office at "Boom Chicago," a nightclub in Amsterdam run by college roomies with Second City Comedy Group of Chicago. Returning to Reno, she worked cocktails then PR at the Peppermill, where she met Jonathan Clark. She quickly decided he was the tall dark Italian with the red convertible" she always dreamed would be her true love. They married in October 1998, moved to Modesto, CA with Jon's mother, Donna Trio, and met the rest of Jon's Italian clan. There they created the family they yearned for-Jade Roselle born in 2000, and Quinlin Jonathan born in 2002. From then on, it was "all about the children."

The Clark Family moved to Reno and Jon became an HVAC professional and Victoria joined New York Life as a technical insurance specialist, meeting her BFF, Denelle Munson. The Clarks played softball and partied with "The Crew" and enjoyed their family life in Wingfield Springs. They taught Sunday School at Summit Church, joined Bible Studies there, and for the last seven years have been involved with Jade's dance and Quin's ice hockey. Vicki's husband and children adore her and will talk to her every day of their lives.

Victoria was attacked by Triple Negative Breast Cancer in April 2015. For 13 months she fiercely fought the disease with courage, dignity and, even humor, never letting anything dampen her magnificent, joyful spirit. Jon was her hero and strength throughout the ordeal. One of Victoria's final decisions was to donate tissue samples to Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City for its genome study to help find the causes and cures for TNBC.

Victoria's other surviving relatives include Mike, Dorothy and Zachary Holmes of Reno; the Nash, Feroah, Viloria, Clark and Trio families in Reno; the Clark and Trio families in Sparks, Modesto, and Ripon, CA; Nash families in Las Vegas, Oregon, California, Texas and North Dakota; and Holmes family relatives in Georgia and North Carolina.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 10:00 am. Saturday, June 4th at Summit Church,7075 Pyramid Way, Sparks, NV followed by a reception at Pinocchio's Bar & Grill on Vista Blvd. Donations in Victoria Clark's name can be made to "Moms on the Run," 5995 S. Virginia St., Reno, NV 89502.