Steamboat Pilot & Today

Former Steamboat Springs resident David Bruce Clark died April 23, 2003, of cancer. He was 50.

The Santa Rosa, Calif., resident was the deputy general manager for the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, Ferry Division, in San Francisco, where he oversaw the Larkspur and Sausalito ferry lines, which make more than 50 daily crossings of the San Francisco Bay.

David spent 25 years in the maritime industry, with more than 13 years in senior management positions in Texas, Connecticut and California.

He also was vice president of the American Passenger Vessel Association, a trade group serving the ferry and passenger ship industry. David held a U.S. Coast Guard 1,600-ton ocean masters license. He received many commendations for his safe navigation skills and worked closely with the Coast Guard to develop safety regulations for fast ferries in the United States and the Bahamas.

An avid outdoorsman, David was a skilled mountain biker, skier and inline skater. He also enjoyed camping, windsurfing and sailing. A patented inventor, David designed products for the ski and marine industries, including SoloSki, a slalom ski, and WeeSki, a children's sport harness. Both were developed while David lived in Steamboat.

He was a talented artist and visionary thinker, and he created detailed, architectural designs, drawings and photographs without any formal education.

A man of contagious enthusiasm and unwavering good cheer, David was well respected by all who knew him, and admired for his kindness and consideration. He was a devoted family man.

David is survived by his wife, Kathy; two children, Graham and Olivia; his mother, Shirley Clark of Stoneboro, Penn.; his father, David of Lafayette, Calif.; two sisters, Becky Clark of Woodinville, Wash., and Shelby Clark of Sandy Lake, Penn.; two brothers, Jeff Clark of Hahn's Peak and Nate Clark of Grand Ledge, Mich.; and four nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.