Clifford Brent Tokarski

Clifford Brent Tokarski, age 74, passed away unexpectedly on March 19, 2026. Cliff was born on February 16, 1952, to Alma L. (Morgan) Tokarski-Deruntz and Bernard C. Tokarski in Chicago, Illinois. He is preceded in death by his parents and his youngest brother. He is survived by his wife, Maria de Lourdes Corona; two children; two granddaughters; a sister; two brothers; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Growing up, his family moved often, ultimately being in Bowie, MD, during his high school years. He enjoyed playing sports. He entered and won the NFL's Punt, Pass, and Kick competition for his age group, winning an LA Rams letterman jacket. He went to Bowie High School, where he played football and baseball before graduating in 1970.

Following a brief marriage, he traveled around the US and even got to see Secretariat win all three races of the 1973 Triple Crown in-person. Cliff enlisted in the US Army in 1974, serving in various infantry units. He took a two-and-a-half-year separation from the service before rejoining in 1980. During his second enlistment he went through Ranger School and eventually Special Forces training to join the elite Green Berets. As a Special Operations Weapons Sergeant. Cliff was an "old soldier" during this elite training, but he managed to keep up and pass this most rigorous training regime.

Cliff participated in numerous military assignments as a member of the Special Forces in Fort Bragg, Hawaii, Italy, and Germany. His combat career culminated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, where he saw duty in the combat zone. He then assisted in the establishment of the Kurdish relief camps and war cessation operations in Iraq. During this time, he was exposed to the "burn pits." He appeared on the front page of Stars & Strips during his work with the Kurds.

Cliff was most proud of his service to the nation as an Airborne Ranger and Special Forces Green Beret, where he gave selflessly. During his service, which included 10 and a half years overseas. He earned many awards and decorations, including the Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Expert Infantryman, Army Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, and Army Commendation Medal. Eventually it was time to "pop smoke and go." He took an early retirement from the Army and was honorably discharged as Sergeant First Class in 1994 from the 10th Mountain Division/Special Operations Command at Fort Devens, MA, where he was in the G3 assisting in managing operations.

Cliff had several civilian jobs that leveraged his Army skills, notably with helping people and managing teams and logistics "in the field." He lived in Maine, Upper Marlboro, MD, and Wilmington, NC. He enjoyed boating and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay. During his time in the Iraq conflict, he asked the Lord to get him out safely so that he could just sit on a boat and

fish; catching fish would just be a bonus.

He settled in Colorado Springs for the remainder of his life. He met and eventually married Lourdes Corona in 2016. Cliff and Lourdes enjoyed their time together with an extensive family filled with love, laughter, joy, and only occasional tears