Dave Clark lost his long bout with cancer at the age of 52 in October. (Pacific Region).

Dave Clark lost his long bout with cancer at the age of 52 in October. "Whenever I hear the term `benefits of parks and recreation,' Dave comes to mind," said Jim Donahue, NRPA President Elect. "Dave was instrumental in preparing and presenting the first benefits workshop in the U.S. when he was president of the American Parks and Recreation Society Branch. The presentation that he and others from Oregon made was so convincing and well-received by professionals and citizens that NRPA decided to take the program to a much greater level than was ever conceived." A graduate in the master's of public administration program at Lewis and Clark College in 1991, Clark received his bachelor's degree in recreation from the University of Utah in 1975, and his master's in recreation and park management from the University of Oregon in 1974. He served on numerous boards and received several awards, including the Oregon Recreation and Park Association Distinguished Service Award in 2000, and was a member of the National Recreation and Park Association Board of trustees from 1991 to 2000. He was credited with moving forward the national initiatives of the benefits program during his tenure as APRS President. "I think what we will miss most about Dave is his enormous capacity for vision, optimism and hope," said Albany City Manager Steve Bryant. "He could always see possibilities where no one else could. When Dave arrived here, the city owned less than 10 percent of its long-ignored riverfront. Today, well over 90 percent of the Williamette River frontage on both sides of the river is in public ownership."