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BY SUSAN BEAUCHAMP –
The Prescott, AZ corps had little trouble deciding who to award its annual Others Award this year. Local ophthalmologist and Salvation Army advisory board member Dr. Randall Clark was the unanimous choice. But Dr. Clark was unable to accept his award–the life-long volunteer and humanitarian died one week to the day before the corps’ annual award dinner. His son, Randall O. Clark, accepted the award on his father’s behalf.
“He was a great person.” Captain Bill Dickinson said. “We thought it was a great way to honor his life, even if he wasn’t there to accept it.”
Since retiring from the Air Force in 1972, Dr. Clark and his wife Helen, a registered nurse, provided eye surgery in primitive clinics all over the globe. Their first assignment was three years in Afghanistan in the 70s. The Clarks originally were assigned to the NOOR eye hospital in Kabul, but the MAP-Hazarat Project desperately needed someone with executive medical experience so they packed up and moved to the remote mountainous area in the center of the country. Because of the Christian missionary facet of the project, the Afghan government shut the hospital down and asked the Clarks to leave the country.
They returned to the U.S. and set up private practice. After his retirement 1989, Dr. Clark returned to his volunteer work, taking trips to Paraguay, El Salvador, Albania, Ghana, India, Pakistan and Vietnam. His final trip was a three-month return to Afghanistan in May 2000.
He was a Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow. Dr. Clark participated in the Christian ministry at the local jail as a member of Gideons International.
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