Frank VanOrman Clark Jr.
Frank VanOrman Clark Jr., 89, passed away April 29, 2025, at Mayfair Eden Care Home.
He leaves behind his wife of 62 years, Janiel Clark; sons, Scott, Jason (Tanya) and Jeremy (Cali); daughter, Janae (Mark); sister, Janice Mackey; sisters-in-law, Vallene and Cathy; brother-in-law, Kevin; 14 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Mr. Clark graduated from Cyprus High School in Magna, Utah, before earning his bachelor’s degree in education from Brigham Young University and his master’s in education from Arizona State University.
He served in the United States Army from 1856 to1958 as a Private First Class.
He taught social studies and geography at Roosevelt Jr. High School in Superior as well as sponsoring a chess and checkers after school club at the same school. He later went on to serve as principal at Kennedy Elementary School. After he retired from teaching, Frank taught and wrote curriculum for Rio Solado Community College in computers.
Frank was a heavy weightlifter after high school and won a few awards. He loved working with craft sticks and made lamps, clocks, bowls, treasure boxes, Christmas Trees and sleighs and reindeer. He taught the kids in his sixth-grade class how to make the Christmas trees and reindeer sleighs. He loved to teach about things he enjoyed.
He loved always having a project, from building his family room to chopping wood. He was always busy and willing to teach his children how to change a tire, make homemade ice cream, mow the lawn and polish the benches at their Church building. In the late 60s and 70s, his second job was being the Janitor of their church. His children all learned how to clean!
Spending time with his family and fulfilling his church callings were very important to him. He baked bread to take to families and, for a couple of years, he went to the Florence Prison on Saturdays to teach a Sunday School Class. He and his wife, Janiel, served an 18-month Church Mission in the South Mexico City area. While in Mexico they visited as many Mayan Ruins they could find. Frank taught himself Spanish by listening to tapes and would pit post it notes all over the house with the Spanish words on things and that helped him learn. After serving, they traveled to China, Peru, Guatemala and Jerusalem.
Services for Mr. Clark will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 618 S. Signal Butte Rd., Mesa, on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 10 a.m. with a viewing at 9 a.m. Interment will follow at 11 a.m. at Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery. A luncheon will be held at the church at noon.