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-Thomas Ryan Clark, former senior federal executive and a longtime Albuquerque resident died Monday, March 8, 2004 in Albuquerque after a courageous six-year battle with renal failure. He was born September 16, 1925 in Aberdeen, WA, son of Dr. George O. Clark and Gladys Ryan Clark. His early years were dedicated to athletics, including football and baseball, but highlighted by winning Washington State championships in swimming. In April 1943, he enlisted in the US Navy Reserve and was assigned to the officer-training program at the University of Kansas. At KU, he lettered in the mile and two-mile, winning the Big Six track meet. In 1944, he was appointed a cadet at the US Military Academy at West Point. Graduating in 1948, he was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers, and married Barbara Ann Thiele of Kansas City, MO, in the same week. His first assignment, after attending the usual Army training schools at the time, was to the then-secret Armed Forces Special Weapons Project at Sandia Base outside of Albuquerque. There he served in the Special Weapons Unit, as Aide to the Commanding General and as staff engineer on the headquarters staff. Barbara and Tom's first three of four children were born at Sandia Base. During the Korean War, he was a company commander in the 120th Engineer Combat Battalion, 45th Infantry Division. After earning his MSEE at Purdue University, he taught in the Dept. of Electrical Engineering at West Point and then commanded the 553rd Engineer Battalion in France before he was assigned to the Atomic Energy Commission headquarters in Washington as an R&D staff officer. During his Army career he received the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit. After promotion to Colonel, he retired in 1968 to accept appointment as a senior executive in the AEC. During the subsequent years, he served AEC in several positions, including director of weapons production and then principal assistant director of the Division of Military Application. Upon the creation of ERDA in 1975, he acted as the deputy assistant administrator for nuclear energy. In 1976, he was appointed Deputy Manager of the Albuquerque Operations Office, where he played key roles in nuclear weapon development and production, expansion of energy development activities in solar, wind and geothermal development and creation of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Project in southeast New Mexico. In 1983, he was appointed Manager of the Nevada Operations Office, DOE, in Las Vegas, NV, where he was in charge of the nation's underground nuclear weapons test program, as well as the Nuclear Energy Search Team, field studies for high-level nuclear waste disposal at Yucca Mountain and residual activities from atomic testing in the Pacific. After retirement from Federal service, he and Barbara returned to Albuquerque in 1988, from where he embarked upon a consulting career with several corporations, the national laboratories and Federal agencies. He was past president of the Rotary Club of Albuquerque and of the National Atomic Museum. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Barbara T. Clark of Albuquerque; son, Thomas R. Clark, III, and wife Bonnie of Colorado Springs, CO; daughter, Kathleen C. Sandberg and husband, Craig of Penn Yan, NY; son, Christopher J.T. Clark and wife, Mary of Colorado Springs, CO; grandchildren, Colleen, Rebecca, Geoffrey, and Rachel. He was preceded in death by his son, Thomas R. Clark, Jr. Contributions can be made to Hope Episcopal Church, 5435 Wyoming Blvd. #107, Albuquerque, NM 87109; The Superintendent's Endowment, Association of Graduates, USMA, 698 Mills Road, West Point, NY 10996 (designate in memory of COL Thomas R. Clark, USMA, 1948); The Thomas R. Clark Fund, Eastern Maine Charities, PO Box 404, Bangor, ME 04402. Cremation has taken place and memorial services will be held Monday, March 15, 2004, 2:30 p.m., at St. John's Episcopal Cathedral, 318 Silver Ave., SW, with The Rev. Kathy M. Newman officiating. French Mortuary 10500 Lomas Blvd. NE 275-3500
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