Bernard Joseph "Joe" Clark

Bernard Joseph "Joe" Clark, was a man of God, his word, and a deep love for family and country. Joe, a devoted husband, loving dad, sweet Papa and Uncle Joe, peacefully entered heaven on March 15, 2026.

Born May 13, 1935, in Lincoln, Nebraska, to Bernard and Maybelle Clark he earned his huge heart "protecting" four older sisters. He lived a giving life with incredible faith, a generous spirit, quick jokes, a dependable golf swing, and love for ice cream. He made fast friends and always left people smiling.

A Nebraska native, Joe quarterbacked for and graduated from Cathedral High School, where he began his lifelong journey of doing for others. He studied at the College of St. Thomas in Minnesota, and graduated from San José State, where he met the love of his life, Sarah Jane Fairley Clark. The two were married in June of 1958 in Manhattan Beach, California, beginning a beautiful partnership of nearly seven decades.

Joe earned an advanced degree in psychology from The Catholic University of America in, D.C., and later served on the faculty for Webster University, teaching the Taibi Kahler Process Communication Model.

Joe served 20+ years in the US Air Force, retiring in 1979 as a highly decorated Lieutenant Colonel. A pilot of C-130 and C-123 cargo aircrafts, he completed three tours in Vietnam and was part of Operation Dragon Rouge, a hostage rescue in the Congo in 1964. He was an integral part of the aerial resupply mission during the Battle of Khe Sahn. Joe carried countless stories in his heart, including the time he flew a broken plane back to the US to be with his wife for the birth of their fifth child.

Following his military service, Joe served 18 years as VP of Staff Services at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. He devoted much of his life to strengthening the communities he loved through civic roles, including president of Lions World Services for the Blind in Little Rock. He was the first president of the Arkansas State Youth Soccer Association and served as president of St. Vincent de Paul Arkansas, supported Stephen Ministries in Heber Springs, Heber Springs Library Board, and the Thaden Field Airport Board in Bentonville.

He rarely passed up an opportunity to help a neighbor or stranger in need. He was also an avid golfer and a lifelong student of finances and investing, always keeping a close eye on the markets.

Joe is survived by his wife, Sarah Clark, and their children: Debby (Brian) Sullivan, Brian (Kristi) Clark, Kelly Jo Hinrichs, Michael (Lisa) Clark, and Kate (Brandon) Andersen. He also leaves behind his cherished grandchildren: Megan, Caitlin, Eileen, Kelsey, Sarah Katherine, Emma, Lilly, Bernie, Maggie, Mary Claire, Evan, Avery, and Clara, along with 13 great-grandchildren, with more joyfully anticipated in the years ahead.

Sitting on Joe's desk was a quote by George Washington Carver that beautifully captured the way he lived: "How far you go in life depends on being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these."

A private family service will be held at St. Stephen Catholic Church at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Circle of Life Hospice, 901 Jones Road, Springdale, AR 72762