Richard Hopkins Clark

Richard Hopkins Clark passed away of natural causes, just short of his 82nd birthday, on September 10, 2026 at St. Leonard Senior Living Community in Centerville, Ohio, where he had an apartment for 10 years. With Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton in attendance, he died peacefully in St. Leonard’s skilled nursing center.

Richard was born Oct. 8, 1944, in Quincy, Illinois, where he went to grade school and high school while spending summers at his father’s family’s home in Yorkville, Illinois, near Chicago. After high school he graduated from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in 1965 with a B.S. in Physics, and then from Northern Illinois University with an M.S. in Physics and Russian.

Following college, he taught high school physics and mathematics for nine years in Illinois, Belgium, and Ohio before embarking on a 36-year career as a civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force, working in scientific and technical intelligence.

Outside his professional activities Richard enjoyed motorcycle riding and was a member of several conservative riding clubs over many years. Besides being an accomplished pianist, Richard had a life-long love of opera and bluegrass music, astronomy and scientific endeavors. He enjoyed attending many of the local amateur live theater productions in the Dayton, Ohio area.

He was preceded in death by his third wife, beloved Carolyn Barthel Clark, by a brother, Ronald W. Clark, Jr., and by parents Ronald W. Clark, Sr. and Dorothy Dirks Clark. He is survived by a son, Thomas (Melissa) Clark of Royse City, Texas, a daughter, Rachel Clark, of Cincinnati, a sister, Sharon (Warren) Gaskill of Black Earth, Wisconsin, and a special companion, Carole Walker of Bellbrook. Ohio.

Final arrangements are being handled by Tobias funeral home on Far Hills Road in Centerville, Ohio, and interment will be at David’s Cemetery in Kettering, Ohio. At his request, there will be no visitation or ceremonies.