Christopher George Clark

Christopher George Clark of Storrs departed this life on September 9, 2016. He was born in Hartford on September 30, 1940 to Anna Lesizza Clark and Owen Lincoln Clark.?Chris loved telling stories of his childhood growing up with Hartford as his playground, painting colorful pictures of boyhood adventures and family get-togethers, replete with song, dance and laughter. He attended school in Hartford, graduated from Conard High School in West Hartford in 1958 and immediately joined the Navy where he trained as an electronics technician, spending time in the Mediterranean Sea until his honorable discharge in 1961. In 1968, after working for Southern New England Telephone, Chris entered the University of Connecticut, earning bachelor?s and master?s degrees in environmental sciences. Following college, Chris worked on numerous projects, including building houses, working in real estate, running a vegetable stand, and landscaping and gardening projects. He served in the Naval Reserves in the 1980s. In 1997, at age 57, Chris enlisted in the Peace Corps, spending 26 months in Nepal, where he worked with women?s groups on a project to raise goats, men?s groups to build charpis (outhouses) to improve sanitation practices, and various gardening and irrigation initiatives. He highly valued his Peace Corps service, establishing relationships and a network that continued for the rest of his life. Upon completion of his Peace Corps service, Chris was admitted into a graduate program in the College of Agriculture at UConn, where he became a certified soil scientist and worked with area farmers on nutrient management. He was instrumental in making the recently completed compost facility at UConn a reality. Chris retired in 2010 and enjoyed his time thereafter doing the things he loved best: gardening, reading, going for long walks, using his memberships at the Wadsworth Atheneum and Mystic Seaport, and vacationing in Ogunquit, Maine. He was also a member of the Rockville Fish and Game Club. A lifelong learner, Chris will be remembered for his curiosity about the world, his sharp wit, and his terrific sense of humor. He will be missed beyond measure. Chris is survived by his loving wife, Penny Guerin; his children Elizabeth Clark, of Mansfield, Christopher Clark, of Columbia, Jennifer Clark, of Norwich, and Joseph Clark, of California; Penny?s daughter, Aimee McDermott, and her husband, Travis, of Providence, RI; Penny?s son, Andrew Seles, and his wife, Loretto, of Los Angeles, CA; his sisters, Margaret Clark and husband Ralph Silberman of Arlington, VA, Cathryn Girard and husband Ed, of Sarasota, FL, and his brother, Daniel Clark, of Southwick, MA; and several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews. Chris was predeceased by his brother Owen Anton ?Tony? Clark and his sister Ann ?Nan? Canivan. Memorial donations may be sent to Heifer International or Sierra Club. There will be no calling hours. A celebration of Chris?s life will be held later this fall. Details will be posted on this?memorial page at a later date.