Richard D Clark, journeying through life ruggedly from 6/6/1933 to 6/3/2023.

Dubbed the “Mountain Man,” Richard passed peacefully at his home in Gould, Colo.

Richard is survived by his daughters, Kim Clark (Patrice Franklin) Carolyn Gillis (Chris Gillis), and Stephanie Bollinger (Thomas Bollinger), and was preceded in death by his daughter, Cynthia Dianne, and grandson, Corey Clark, who both passed in 2013. He also is survived by his grandchildren, Hallie Bull Jones, Zachary Gillis, Samantha Gillis Adams, Taylor Shea Waters, and great-grandchildren, Cameron and Mckenna Waters.

Starting his journey in 1933, Richard was born in Anthony, Kan. He was raised by parents Minnie and Glenn “Buck” Clark, growing up with brother Glenn and sister Joyce (the only immediate member still among us). Richard spent his younger years in Argonia, working on farms and on the railroad with his father. During high school, he made a trip to Colorado with his sister, Joyce, where his deep love for the Rocky Mountains was sparked.

Upon graduating high school, he received two scholarships to play football and basketball at Friends University in Wichita. However, at age 19, he was pulled from college and drafted in the U.S. Army (1952-55) where he would serve three years for his country. Shortly upon being discharged from the Army, Richard met his first sweetheart and first wife, Sheryl Jean Strohl. After getting married, they moved to Colorado and the mountain man legend began, along with the quote, “I wasn’t born in Colorado but got here as soon as I could.”

Richard and Sheryl “Shay” moved to Boulder, Colo., in 1956 to get their teaching degrees from the University of Colorado. Shortly after, their first daughter Cynthia Dianne was born. They would go on to have three more beautiful girls, Kimberley Jean (‘60), Carolyn Chris (‘64) and Stephanie Joanne (‘68). Rich and Shay taught in Greeley, Brighton, as well as Poudre School District in Fort Collins. After being an administrator at Putnam Elementary and Juan Fullana for 25 years, Richard retired in1990.
While teaching was a passion of his, his true love was the mountains. After exploring the Gould area for several years during his many hunting, fishing, and random escapades, Richard and Sheryl acquired some property in Whispering Pines. This is where he built the Clark family cabin. Later that same year, in 1968, Richard was approached by Johnny Anderson to see if he wanted to purchase a cabin rental business we now call the Powderhorn, and the rest is history.
Richard loved the outdoors! He lived for fishing, hunting, and sitting around the campfire with his family and friends. He took great pride in sharing his love of the Powderhorn with any intrigued listener. He will be remembered for his ability to capture an audience with one of his ghost stories, tell a colorful story from his past (often airing on the side of a fabled ghost story) or dress up as Bigfoot to scare his grandchildren.
Even at 89 years of age, Richard's wry smile and dry wit would animate any conversation. If you were lucky, he would share a secret location for where to land the biggest brown trout, see the most moose, or where to hike in God’s country. He will be sorely missed and forever remembered. His presence will be felt by those who loved him within every rugged adventure yet to pass. We choose to celebrate his life by exploring the wonderful beauty of Mother Nature and the wild outdoors that he so dearly loved.

A celebration of life will be held in Gould, Colo., at the Powderhorn Cabins on Sept. 30, time to be determined.
For more information on the celebration of life, contact Kim Clark at kiclark@hughes.net.
If accommodations are needed, call Powderhorn Cabins at 970-723-4359.