Wayne Carlos Clark

Wayne Carlos Clark was born in Preston, Idaho on July 16, 1940. He was raised by his mother, Golda Christensen, in Boyle Heights, CA. During the summer, he lived with his father, Carl Clark, in Gresham, OR. All of his life, Wayne deeply valued hard work. His first jobs were selling newspapers and working at a gas station. For 33 years, Wayne was proudly employed at the Southern California Gas Company. He held a variety of positions at the company and loved them all--starting as a mail clerk in Los Angeles to retiring as a customer services manager in Visalia. It was at the Gas Company that he met and married Maria Elena Moreno in June of 1975. They have two daughters together, Melissa and Alison, and Wayne has two sons, Ray and Jerry, from a previous marriage. After his retirement, Wayne began a long association with the United Way of Tulare County. He led fundraising efforts for many years including a food booth at the annual World Ag Expo in Tulare. Last year, he was recognized for his years of service by having the building named after him (next time you're at the Ag show, look for the Wayne C. Clark galley!). He served as President of the Board of Directors for two terms and was an active board member up until his passing. Wayne strongly believed in the importance of giving back and strengthening his community through volunteer work. He fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a police officer by serving as a volunteer reserve community service officer with VPD. As a member of the Visalia Breakfast Lions since 1988, Wayne participated in countless community service events throughout the years. He held multiple roles with the club including Chairman of the Flag Day program and served as President for one term. With Visalia Lions Club, he was an announcer for the Oldies Car show, Woody Car Show, and the school band review competition at Mineral King Bowl. Wayne saw each day as a new "adventure" and always had a story to tell. He treasured time spent outdoors and was most content surrounded by nature. He loved to fish and often reminisced about his yearly fishing trips to Bishop and his kayak trips through Canada. He was an avid reader and especially enjoyed thrillers and westerns. Wayne passed away on January 18, 2026 at his home surrounded by family. He is survived by his wife, Elena; daughters Melissa and Alison Clark; son Raymond Clark; sister Ranae Jarman; brother Dan Shepard and his wife Gay; sister-in-law Isela Eskender; sister-in-law Christina Kaiser and her husband Jens; brother-in-law Carlos Altamirano; and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial services will be held 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Monday, February 16th, 2026 at Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel, 127 E. Caldwell Ave., Visalia. Services have been entrusted to Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel. Memorial Tributes and condolences may be offered by logging onto www.salseranddillard.com.

Wayne Carlos Clark

July 16, 1940 - January 18, 2026