Community Mourns Student’s Death

Isaac Clark CAS ’12, age 21, died October 17, 2011, from head injuries sustained in a skateboarding accident.

During his short life, Clark made a significant impact on others with his intense passion for life and learning. At Lewis & Clark, he majored in physics and math and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa as a junior. He was also a member of Sigma Pi Sigma, a national physics honor society. Clark looked forward to one day earning a PhD in physics.

Clark was born in Everett, Washington, and moved to Keizer before his first birthday. In 2008, he graduated from McNary High School, where he was a valedictorian.

From an early age, Clark expressed his desire to achieve and to be special. He was known for studying many hours beyond the school day. He grew up playing soccer, football, basketball, and baseball. Introduced to a drum set at age 13, Clark entertained his family daily with his self-taught skills, later playing the drums for services at Salem First Christian Church and for his high school band, Zombie Warrior Enterprise. He took drum and piano lessons at Lewis & Clark and performed in a variety of musical ensembles. Most significantly, says his family, he had a kind and loving heart.

Survivors include his younger sister, Natalie Clark; his mother, Linda Olson; his father, Bud Clark; his stepfather, Bob Olson; his grandparents; three step-siblings; and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins and dear friends.

Donations in Clark’s memory may be made to the Isaac Clark Memorial Fund for Physics and Math at Lewis & Clark College.