Vicki Clark

Vicki Jean Stoddard Gifford Clark, a resident of Thatcher, entered into eternal life Tuesday afternoon, October 8, 2024, at her residence, with her family at her side. Vicki was 79.
Vicki Jean was born on VJ Day September 2, 1945, to Cecil Lincoln Stoddard and Melvern Nora Lee Peet in Escondido, California. Her name was influenced by the historic event that took place that day in ending our war with Japan. When she was 2 months old the family moved to Benson, Arizona, but shortly thereafter they moved to Willcox and that's where they lived during her school years. She was the only child of her parents, but was raised with twin brothers, who were 15 years older than her, from her mother's first marriage. Her family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was 9 years old and she was a stalwart member of the church throughout her life.
Vicki struggled through elementary school because she wasn't able to read, but gained lots of mechanical skills by being with he dad in his mechanic shop. When she was 16 a tall cowboy came to the shop to get something repaired and a relationship followed which resulted in their marriage and sealing in the Mesa Temple. Dwayne Leroy Gifford (Wayne) was that tall cowboy and besides loving her, he took time to help her improve her reading and housekeeping skills. She gained her cooking skills from her mother and used those skills throughout her life while raising her children.
When Wayne was working for Pappy Daley, Pappy told Vicki that he'd help them get a house, if they wanted one. Vicki selected a house plan and the house was one of the first home built in Daley Estates.
Vicki had a great love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and desired to serve them. She was called as a Relief Society Visiting Teacher, this was a challenge for her, but Wayne helped her prepare the lessons so she could do this calling. She continued her studies and church service and later, with the help of Brother Sorenson, she was able to get her GED.
Vicki loved music and had a beautiful soprano voice. She sang in many choruses throughout her life. She was also very artistic. She could draw faces, animals, and landscapes, but her greatest art projects were her blankets and quilts which she provided to family and friends.
Vicki supplemented their income by making wedding cakes, a skill that she learned from her mother. She later used her cooking skills as a cook for Casa Manana Restaurant and then for a job that she loved, cooking for students at Eastern Arizona College (EAC). Wayne took a job cleaning and maintaining church buildings and Vicki transitioned to being a church custodian. She helped clean chapels from Bylas, on the Reservation, to a chapel in Cliff, New Mexico. EAC offered her a job that had better pay and benefits, so she took that job. Wayne's untimely death in 2004 kept her working there until she qualified for Social Security. She worked for EAC a total of 8 years.
After she retired, she desired to serve a mission for the church and was called to serve in the Birmingham Alabama Mission. She served mainly in the office and loved her interaction with the younger missionaries. She also developed a love for the saints in that area. She served there from 2008 to 2009. Shortly after she returned from her mission a Temple was announced for our valley. She was called as a Temple Ordinance Worker in the Mesa Temple. The local church leaders knew that we'd need Temple Ordinance Workers for our Temple and this call was to prepare her to serve in our Temple when it was dedicated. She would travel to Gilbert to serve in the Mesa Temple, stay with Joyce's family overnight and then serve in the Temple the next morning before returning home. But, more of her talents were needed, her custodial skills. Temples are cleaned at the end of every day's use, and someone was needed to prepare a cleaning plan so everything would be properly cleaned and maintained. Vicki and Bill Mulleaneaux were called to make and administer the cleaning plan. This calling began before the open house for The Gila Valley Temple in 2010 and she continued on that committee for 10 years.
Another chapter of her life opened 8 years after the passing of Wayne. While serving in the baptistry of the temple, another temple worker, Lee Clark, noticed her quick step in getting her tasks done. Another chance meeting at a wedding reception of one of his former scouts, lead to more investigations and a friendship developed. One thing led to another and Lee and Vicki were married on December 31, 2012.
Throughout her life, Vicki's love for people and love for the Lord have allowed her to change the lives of many people. She has served in teaching and leadership positions in Primary, Young Women and Relief Society. For the little girl who, struggled to get through school, to have achieved all of these things in her life, is truly miraculous and because of loving friends and a loving Heavenly Father.
Vicki leaves behind: her husband, Lee Clark; six children, Pam, Trish, Sandy, Lin, Shelley, and Joyce; 23 grandchildren, and 36 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Vicki will be conducted Saturday, October 19, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., at the Temple View Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Bishop Jason Phillips of the Thatcher Fifth Ward. Concluding services will follow in the Thatcher Cemetery.
The family will receive friends Friday evening, October 18, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., at the Vining Funeral Home and Saturday morning, October 19, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m., in the Temple View Chapel Relief Society Room of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Those who would like to attend the services via Facebook Live can join on Vining Funeral Home's Facebook page, Saturday morning, October 19, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. (MST).