Robert Earl (Bob) Clark, 82, of Overland Park, Kansas, passed away on January 13, 2024, at his home. He had received a diagnosis of late-stage pancreatic cancer the week before, and he died instantly of cardiac arrest before having to experience any pain from the cancer.

Bob was born September 29, 1941, in St. Joseph, MO, to Earl Clifford Clark and Marcella Imogene Heard. His parents divorced soon after World War II; Bob had one half-brother – Wayne Andrew McLane. The blended family moved to Independence when Bob was in grade school. During junior high he served on the School Safety Patrol, and in high school he was in the Jr. ROTC program. At age 12 Bob became a Christian through the influence of neighbors. That decision changed the whole direction of his life.

He graduated in 1959 from Central High School, in Kansas City, MO. Though Bob attended Kansas City Junior College that first year, too much chess and not enough study resulted in his not returning to the junior college the next year! Instead, he transferred to Southwest Baptist College, Bolivar, MO, and then to Ouachita Baptist College in Arkadelphia, AR. While attending Ouachita, Bob met Marie Gambrell, his life-long love, and they married in August 1962 just before their junior year. At Ouachita he earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with minors in mathematics and history.

After teaching junior high math for two years in the St. Charles, MO, and Ft. Worth, TX, areas, Bob was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Air Force on August 27, 1967. Twelve years later, after 6 duty stations including Hawaii and Germany, he was honorably discharged.

The next chapter of his life brought the family of four to Kansas City, MO, in 1979, to prepare for God's call to ministry. Bob attended Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and graduated in 1980 with a Masters of Religious Education. God's call only required a short move across town to Nall Avenue Baptist Church in Prairie Village, KS, where he served as Minister of Education for almost 30 years spanning three pastors. The lives he has impacted in these 43 years are too numerous to count.

Bob Clark was an avid reader and he also enjoyed cruise vacations. But most of all, he dearly loved Marie, his wife of 61 years, his two sons Bob Jr and Tom, 5 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

Bob is survived by his wife, Marie, of the home; sons Bob Clark, Jr. (Lisa) of Shawnee, KS, and Tom Clark (Kimberly) of Cypress, TX. His five grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren brought him great joy: Meghan Buller (Daniel), Emporia – Jace, Brinley, Sadie and Walker; Lizzy Bishop (Brett), Shawnee – Leah and Madison; Hayden Marcus Clark, Emporia; Andrew Clark, Dallas; Matthew Clark, Denton, TX; and sister-in-law Joy Turner of Camden, AR.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, January 28, at Nall Avenue Baptist Church, 6701 Nall Avenue, Prairie Village, KS 66208. Visitation will be from 1:00-2:00 pm.