David John Clark

David John Clark, of Traverse City, MI, affectionally known as "Buzz," joined his beloved wife, Mary, when he passed from this life on October 5, 2025, leaving behind a legacy and finding peace. He was seventy-one.

Buzz was born in Cadillac, MI, on January 2, 1954, to Joseph William Clark and Freida Louise Clark. The youngest of six children, Buzz garnered his nickname from his older siblings for the "buzz cuts" his dad provided with a pair of clippers in the garage. For Christmas 1963, Buzz received a Schwinn Stingray bicycle, the prized possession of his childhood. With his newfound freedom, he explored the numbered streets of Cadillac, times he later recounted as when he learned "street smarts." From his father, Buzz learned his strong work ethic. From his mother, Buzz learned the importance of serving those in need. And if you asked Buzz, he learned the importance of fighting against injustice from his older siblings.

In those years, Buzz also learned the value of earning a dollar, and he developed a lifelong passion for collecting rare coins. His youth, a product of the sixties, nurtured a fascination with social upheaval, politics, legal reform, muscle cars, and rock music.

In his junior year of high school, Buzz's life was serendipitously intertwined with his future wife, Mary, while attending a party at the local funeral home. A year later, their bond was tested and ultimately forged. Two months before high school graduation, Buzz's life was recast in an unrecognizable shape when he was paralyzed in a car accident. After a year of hospital beds and rehabilitation efforts, he regained his life, now as a quadriplegic.

Undeterred by adversity, he went on to attend Ferris State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business. In 1977, he married his high school sweetheart, and later, relocated to Lansing, MI, where he attended Cooley School of Law. In 1980, Buzz and Mary welcomed their daughter, Brandee. Earning a Juris Doctorate Degree, Buzz went on to practice law in Traverse City, MI, and in 1984, Buzz and Mary welcomed their son, Adam.

Buzz's legal career was defined by his early years under the mentorship of Dean Robb, then as Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Leelanau County, before solidifying his own legal practice. Buzz served as a public defender in the Thirteenth Circuit Court in Grand Traverse County for nearly thirty years. He found his calling as a defender of innocence and an advocate for rehabilitation. In addition to his legal career, Buzz enjoyed entrepreneurial success in real estate and investing.

Life was not without setbacks. Buzz battled countless health complications due to his physical condition. He supported Mary through her many battles with breast cancer. He lost his family home to a housefire in 2000. Eventually, he lost Mary to cancer in 2014. And yet, he emerged each time, a bit stronger, a bit wiser, and went on. In his later years, as his health often waxed and waned, he remained undeterred, continuing his career, supporting his family, and enjoying time with his grandchildren.

Throughout his life, Buzz was active in the community, a long-time parishioner of Saint Joseph's Church and supporter of Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools. He was known for his random acts of kindness, often handing out two-dollar bills to children or those down on their luck. He loved comedy, radically candid conversations that burgeoned on discomfort, gathering with friends to polish old stories, and days spent with family at his cottage on Lake Mitchell, in Cadillac, MI. His greatest joy was his time with family, mentoring his children, and especially when he could gather with all seven of his grandchildren.



Like all good fathers, Buzz's life was a series of parables now etched into the memories of those he loved and served. In the arc of his journey, we can now see that a legacy is built when one is willing to pull the building bricks from the mud; that tragic events are chiral in nature, offering also a reflection of comedy, and our life takes on the shape of which reflection we choose; that random acts of kindness and laughter are balms for the soul; that responsibility is a matter of patience, persistence, and implacability; that courage is to be unapologetically yourself; that wisdom is to act on behalf of your grandchildren; that imagination, ingenuity, and will can overcome any physical or circumstantial limitation; and that strength is choosing to go on.

Buzz is survived by his children: Brandee (Josh) Ludka, and Adam Clark; his grandchildren: Brenen, Aiden, Maren, Hadley, Emerson, Harper, and Hannah; and his siblings: Dennis and Robert. Buzz is preceded in death by his wife, Mary; his parent's Joe and Freida; and his siblings Ron, Gary, and Juanita.

Buzz's final wish was simple. He wants us to gather to celebrate, tell stories, and shoot the proverbial... well, if you knew him, you know how he'd put it. A visitation will be held on Saturday October 11, 2025, at Reynolds Jonkoff from 2pm to 4pm, and to follow, a celebration of life and storytelling at the Park Place Hotel (Grandview Conference Room) from 4:30pm-6:30pm in Traverse City, MI. Cocktails and appetizers will be provided, bring your own story to share. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you donate to the Cowell Family Cancer Center, or do what Buzz would do, get some two-dollar bills and give them away to someone who needs a smile.