William Clark

William "Bill" Clark, 88, passed away on July 6, 2026, at Benedictine Manor in La Crosse, Wisconsin, two weeks shy of his 89th birthday.

Bill was born on July 21, 1937, in Brooklyn, New York, to Edward and Ruth (Carlson) Clark. As a young boy, he made the deeply personal decision to join the Catholic Church and was confirmed at the age of 12. By the time he was 17, he had lost both of his parents.

While serving in the United States Marine Corps, Bill met his future wife, Rita Marco. They married and shared 60 years together. After the birth of their first child, they made a life-changing decision to leave New York for the Midwest. As the story goes, Rita said to Bill, "My parents say if we want to return to Wisconsin, we can stay with them for a while." Bill replied, "Okay!" and together they headed west to begin the next chapter of their lives. They initially lived in Tomah before settling in La Crescent, Minnesota, where they raised their family. They eventually made their home in the Winona area, where they lived for nearly 40 years.

Bill enjoyed a successful career as an award-winning agent with American Family Insurance. While working full-time and raising his family, he earned a business degree from Winona State University. He was a proud Charter Member of the Sunset Lions and later served as a Lions District Governor.

Bill enjoyed reading, fishing, completing the daily crossword puzzle, and cheering on the Green Bay Packers. He had a lifelong love of animals and rarely turned away a stray. Over the years, he brought home a variety of cats, dogs, and other critters, many of which became beloved family pets.

Bill is survived by his son, Brian (Mary Jane) Clark of Germantown, Maryland; his daughter, Valerie (Dan) Krage of La Crescent, Minnesota; and five grandchildren: Andrew (Michael) Gonzalez-Krage of Orange, California; Stephanie (Anto Garabet) Clark of Rockville, Maryland; Bridget (Gibson) Hladky-Krage of Madison, Wisconsin; Joseph Clark of Germantown, Maryland; and Lauren (Kalleigh Specht) Krage of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is also survived by members of Rita's extended family, including several sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Rita; his parents, Edward Clark and Ruth Clark; and a very special aunt, Berthe Haderer.

The family would like to thank the staff of both Benedictine Villa and Benedictine Manor for the care and kindness they provided to Bill during his final years.

Memorials may be directed to the animal rescue organization of the donor's choice.

A private family service will be held.