John Clark Reardon

John “Clark” Reardon died peacefully Tuesday evening, Aug. 25, at his home in Langley, after a prolonged and ugly struggle with Vascular Dementia. Clark was born Aug. 23, 1936 in Madison, Wisc. to Arthur and Jane nee Clark Reardon.

His father was an executive with Kroger Corporation and the family was subjected to frequent moves. Clark grew up in Madison, Kansas City, Cleveland and finally, Chicago, where he spent his high school years.

Clark graduated from Glen Ellyn High School in 1954 and preceded on to college, where he received his bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame University and his MBA from Columbia University. He was a thesis short of a Ph.D from the University of Minnesota. He also spent a short time with the U.S. Marine Corps. Clark moved to Minneapolis-St. Paul, where he served as president of a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Pillsbury Corporation.

In 1964, Clark was married to Mona Boggie, a high school teacher. Soon they began a family, adding three children, Sheila Catherine, John Clark and Meghan Elizabeth, all within three and a half years. Clark changed jobs and took a position with Piper-Jaffrey, a regional brokerage firm, where he became director of research.

In 1989, Clark received an irresistible offer to work in the Pacific Northwest, so the family packed up their belongings and moved to Seattle and to the world of banking. They settled in Bellevue. Not long after, they discovered the charm of Whidbey Island, and Clark made Whidbey home.

His career flourished during his time in Seattle. He worked for Pacific National Bank, First Interstate Bank and Wells Fargo, where he became corporate senior vice president and director of trust investments. He eventually retired from Wells Fargo and started his own money management firm, Reardon, Rivard and Associates, which he sold after five years.

Clark was a gentle man of few words, but he possessed a wicked wit and had a definite mischievous aspect to his personality. He loved peace and quiet, his brother Robert, his dogs, Notre Dame, (often tearing up as his listened to their fight song), golf, travel, a good Beefeaters martini, English crime novels, classical music, Latin chants, well-worn comfortable clothes, tomatoes in season, Italian food, and his family and good friends. He disliked “commotion” as he called it, large groups, cocktail parties, George Bush, the word “incredible,” bigotry, war, politics in the workplace, heavy rock music, and most of all — surprises. He held a very strong Catholic faith.

He faced his illness with forbearance and dignity, becoming the best of himself. He deeply loved his family. He is survived by his wife Mona; his children Sheila, John and Meghan and his beloved son-in-law Chris; by his grandchildren Keoni, Madeline, Nolan and Charlotte; and numerous nieces and nephews in Minneapolis and St. Paul. A private funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Hubert Catholic Church in Langley.

Please join us for a celebration of life to be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at Useless Bay Country Club. Donations in memory of Clark may be made to the Vascular Dementia Foundation, AFA, 322 Eighth Ave, 7th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10001.

Please visit Clark’s page in the Book of Memories at www.wallinfuneralhome.com to share memories and condolences. Arrangements entrusted to Wallin Funeral Home and Cremation, LLC, Oak Harbor.