Clark I. Williamson, loving husband, father, and grandfather died peacefully on May 3, 2020 in his Legend Lake home in Keshena, WI. Clark will join a long list of loving family and friends in Heaven.
Clark was born in Appleton, WI on December 26, 1932. He graduated from Appleton High School in 1952. In his younger years, Clark experienced great losses. At age 12 he lost his oldest brother, Jack, in WWII while his other brother Eugene went missing in action on the front lines. Clark also lost his father at a young age (and lost his 103 yr old mommy at the young age of 69!). Despite these losses, Clark found a love for sports! He excelled in swimming, diving, basketball, and pole vaulting at Roosevelt Jr. High and AHS. He broke the school record in pole vaulting and was later named the Tri-City athlete of the year. Clark attended Northern Illinois University before serving our country in the Army as a paratrooper and instructor. He went on to marry the love of his life, Karen Ogaard, in 1962 and raised four beautiful children in Appleton. Clark was a top salesman with LM Berry (Yellow Pages) for 34 years before retiring in 1994. Karen and Clark thoroughly enjoyed retirement with bridge clubs, pontoon parties, fish fries, lake social clubs (ROMEO’s) and golf leagues. He even had two hole-in-ones in his 70s!
Clark was a handyman extraordinaire with a strong work ethic. In retirement, he designed & built his dream log home on Legend Lake. This feat involved clearing hundreds of trees, wheeling tons of sand down his hill, laying thousands of paver bricks, installing custom wood floors & ceilings, and making sure every square inch of every log was scraped, sanded, and varnished by hand. He stayed busy tending to his immaculate lawn and flowerbeds, but it was his attention to detail with every project that was remarkable. Just like his beloved high school sports, the challenges brought him joy and happiness.
Clark was best known as a wonderful family man. He became a father figure for those who were not as fortunate as his own children. He had an amazing sense of humor and a kid-like playfulness that could lighten any room. Clark loved to have company at the cabin, from hosting a wedding to inviting the family for reunions. Sharing stories with his grandchildren, playing harmonica around the campfire, and dancing with Karen in the kitchen made the cabin a home.
Clark’s severe heart attack in 2014 made him appreciate every moment of his last six years.
He is survived by his wife, Karen; children Lizbeth (Jeffrey) Saunders, Craig Williamson, Meg (William) Sears, and Kristin (Carlo) Taormina; and grandchildren Abby (Aaron) Anderson, Bryn Saunders, Paige (Ben) Hui, Clark Williamson, Bryce, Logan, Mia, and Cooper Sears, Bella and Luciana Taormina.
Clark was preceded in death by his mother, Delma (Sorensen) Williamson and father, Irving Williamson; brothers, Jack (Delores) Williamson, and Eugene (Joan) Williamson.
The Williamsons plan to celebrate his life with a private family funeral and a memorial service with family and friends at a later date due to COVID-19 restrictions.
