Michael W

Clark

On November 5, 2026, Michael W. Clark passed away at his Carrollton, Ohio, home after a long and determined struggle with lung cancer. He was born July 17, 1950, in Gainesville, Florida, to Jesse Clark and Odeal (Register) Clark. From the beginning, he was interested in riding, sneaking over to a nearby orange grove to ride a feral pony or sitting atop the family propane tank, wearing his kiddie cowboy outfit, and shouting “Hi Yo, Silver.” Later, he rode his pet pig, Max, to the school bus stop in the morning and Max would be waiting for him in the afternoon.

As a youth, he spent several years on the Alabama farm of his aunt and uncle, Lessee and Ollie Hinson where wild horses from Western states would arrive annually for breaking and training. Although, young Mike had to be tied in the saddle, he was placed on the broncos to buck them out, a job that fostered his riding skills, instilled fearlessness, and deepened his love and understanding of horses. He declined old school methods of training and adopted his own philosophy that blended kindness and patience with his exceptional skills, which gave him particular success in rehabilitating and restoring troubled horses.

His favorite transformation was a rank mare named Gemini, which had become so dangerous and unmanageable that her next stop was the glue factory. Gemini seriously challenged the old cowboy adage “There ain’t a horse that can’t be rode…” While they had many tussles before arriving at a partnership, Gemini the lost cause became awesome, but always remained a one-man horse. Mike joked that dealing with cranky mares was good preparation for his second marriage.

His high school years were spent at San Lorenzo High School in California where he played football, ran track, and boxed Golden Gloves. However, baseball was Mike’s greatest passion. He played at every opportunity from pick-up games, to the military, to Triple A, and a shot at the Big Time. In 1973, he tried out for the Oakland As baseball team, secured the short stop position, and played several preseason and exhibition games. The club declined to offer him a contract when x-rays revealed an old leg injury held together with metal pins. His proudest moment during his brief time with the Oakland As was hitting a homerun off a Nolan Ryan pitch.

Another passion was racing, both motorcycles and quarter mile dragsters, at places like Baylands, Laguna Seca, and Baja, Mexico--which helps to explain that old leg injury. He also enjoyed long distance road trips with large groups of bikers, which sometimes put him in the company of outlaw motorcycle clubs. However, he refused to surrender his independence by officially joining any organization that required him to take orders or follow repressive rules. Sonny Barger, the infamous leader of the Oakland Hell’s Angels, tolerated Mike dropping in and out at will, and nicknamed him “The Ghost.”

Following service in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, Mike worked as a diesel mechanic, company driver, and eventually an owner operator who traveled to 48 states and Alaska. Because of his extensive knowledge of highways and byways, fellow drivers (in the days before GPS) would call on their CB radios to ask directions. That earned him another nickname “Rand McNally.” He hauled every conceivable commodity from fresh fish to produce to more exotic payloads like armed Tomahawk missiles and Egyptian antiquities for the 1970s King Tut exhibits. In his final years, he was a steel hauler, the most dangerous cargo, the more so for delivering to a steel mill on the southside of Chicago where crime, violence, gunfire, and depravity, made for a life-threatening Mad Max scene.

His 52-years on the road produced many harrowing experiences and wild adventures, but he loved the freedom of his profession and the sometime sublime moments. One he would describe with remembered awe was approaching St. George, Utah, at dawn. He pulled off the road to watch the rising sun gradually illuminate the glorious colors of the desert and mountains.

Horses remained a constant throughout his life. He competed in local rodeos in saddle bronc and team roping. At Tom Ferguson’s ranch in Livermore, California, Mike encountered a different kind of horse. Ferguson, many times over World Champion All-Around Cowboy, let Mike ride his fine-tuned cutting horse. The cutter’s explosive power and lightning-fast reflexes put Mike on the ground, which proved the rest of the old adage “There ain’t a cowboy that can’t be throwed.”

With another buddy, Mike participated in a 14-day cattle drive from Montana to Colorado where the chuck wagon served up beef stew every night. As a confirmed meat-and-potatoes guy, that suited him just fine.

Mike moved to Carroll County in 1995 and owned two horse properties. He loved rural Ohio life and enjoyed fishing and riding motorcycles with friends. He took up golf and typical of his natural athletic ability became proficient within several years. His regular foursome played courses all over, but Carroll Meadows was a favorite. Mike and one of his friends set a course record there, playing 90 holes in one day.

He was particularly grateful for the spiritual guidance, fellowship, and many acts of kindness, he found at the Carrollton congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Judy (Berkley) Clark; his brother Dave Clark of Alabama; and half-brother Bob Bolick of New Mexico. His California family members include his high school sweetheart and first wife Janet (Bridges) Clark; his daughter Patricia (Clark) Torrise; and two sons, Richard Clark and Roy Michael Clark; his granddaughter Andrea (Arceo) Rogers and great grandson Liam. His grandson, Jonathan Arceo, and great granddaughter Priscilla live in Australia.

Mike expressed a wish to be cremated, his ashes be placed in saddle bags on a fast horse in open country and to “Give the horse a whack on the backside.” A more conventional memorial will be planned at a later date.