William "Bill" Clark

Lieutenant Colonel William “Bill” Clark, US-Army, of Tampa, FL passed away September 19, 2018. Son of Debra and Wilfred Stewart and John Clark, he was born in Clinton, IA on February 1, 1976. He was a distinguished military graduate of Northern Illinois University ROTC and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in May of 1999. Over the course of his career he earned a Masters Degree from Troy University and a Masters of Business Administration Degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Lieutenant Colonel Clark’s first assignment was as a platoon leader with the 82nd Airborne Division, at Ft Bragg, NC. He went on to serve as a Plans officer with the 11th Infantry Regiment at Ft Benning, GA. After completing the Infantry Captains Career Course he commanded A Company, 1/15th Infantry, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. His combat and peacekeeping deployments included: Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2010 Lieutenant Colonel Clark transitioned to U.S. Army Acquisitions, adding several deployments to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to his service. At the time of his death, he was actively serving in the United States Special Operations Command. Lieutenant Colonel Clark’s awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal with “V” Device, and (1OLC), Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 OLC), Army Commendation Medal (with 3 OLC), Army Achievement Medal (with 2 OLC), Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Order of St. Maurice. Bill was a man of strong conviction for his family and country. Above all Bill fiercely protected his family and fellow soldiers, always putting his men and his country before his own needs. He found a deep love for fishing as a young boy vacationing on the Mississippi River. As an adult he found refuge on weekends spent fishing with his beloved family—and boat, “Sweet Caroline.” He often built Legos with his daughter, although their favorite game was “Bears.” Bill is preceded in death by his step-father Wilfred Gayle Stewart and daughter Vivian Marie Clark. He is survived by his wife, Nichole Pappamihiel Clark, daughter Caroline Constantine Clark, mother Debra Stewart, father John Clark, sister Julie Keim, her husband Jonas and their children, half-sister Kara Clark, half-brother Thomas Clark, and step-brother Scott Stewart. A visitation will be held on Thursday, September 27th from 4-7 PM, including a small prayer service at 5:30, at Florida Mortuary, 4601 N. Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33603, (813) 237-2900. A memorial service will be held at MacDill Chapel on MacDill Air Force Base the morning of Friday, September 28th. Details of the service can be found by following this link, https://einvitations.afit.edu/inv/anim.cfm?i=418353&k=06604A0A7E54. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a charitable donation to Operation Second Chance, an organization that supports veterans, https://operationsecondchance.org/. Words of comfort may be expressed for Bill's family by clicking on the “Share a Memory” link below.