Amanda Jean Clark

Amanda Jean Clark was born on Christmas Day 1940 in Cleveland, Ohio, She passed away on March 9, 2022. She was the only child of John and Esther (Kobobel) Clark. When she was four years old, her parents moved to northern Colorado, where her mother grew up. Amanda lived in Greeley with her parents and near her maternal, German-Russian side of the family. Her mother was one of 13 children born to Russian immigrants, and Amanda was very proud of and close to this heritage.

By junior high, Amanda and her folks moved to Evans, a small town south of Greeley. Amanda’s father was an avid outdoorsman a

nd the family spent much time in the Rocky Mountains fishing and camping. Amanda was a bright student with athletic and artistic talent. In high school, she made honor roll, played sports, and was the school’s lead artist, creating banners and posters for the athletic teams and decorations for events like school dances.

Upon graduating, Amanda received a full scholarship to Colorado State College (later UNC) and majored in Fine Arts. She married in 1961 and had two children, a son and a daughter.

In her late twenties, Amanda landed a job at then Weld County General Hospital in the Histology department. She trained and became a Histotechnologist, preparing tissue specimens for microscopic examination and analysis. Amanda loved her work and was quite good at it.

In the mid 1970s, Amanda divorced and by 1979 moved to New Orleans where she continued her career in the laboratory. She moved back to Colorado in the early ‘80s and attended Colorado State University earning her Master’s degree in independent studies related to her career in Histology.

Amanda then moved to the Northwest, and in the mid-1980s she started a business refurbishing English antique furniture based in Redmond, Washington. With a keen eye for design and detail, and a passion for the thrill of the antique auction markets, Amanda cultivated her niche business and enjoyed every minute.

When Amanda was 50 years old, she decided to pursue a nursing degree at Seattle University. Two years later, she completed the demanding program and began working in geriatrics. In 1998, Amanda left the Seattle area and moved to Apache Junction, Arizona. Amanda then worked as a nurse at the Arizona State Prison in Florence for a couple years before retiring.

Amanda was a quiet, observing, and astute person. On the flip side, she loved to laugh and dance. She enjoyed shopping (Nordstrom was a favorite store), style and fashion, and fine jewelry. She absolutely adored the colors blue and red and was known for wearing her signature red felt hat. She liked to cook, eat cheesecake, and drink Bailey’s Irish Cream in her coffee. She was hooked on true crime and English murder mysteries. Cats held a special place in her heart, and she would caretake feral cats. She highly valued education. She admired strong women and was a feminist. She cherished her family, friendships, and connection to her senior community.

Amanda was a serious poker player and looked forward to weekly games, particularly Texas Hold’Em. She is remembered for the best poker face and sly smile when she won a hand with a sweet, quiet “Gotcha” uttered in the nicest of ways. Amanda also enjoyed playing the slots at the casino. Twice she won big at Arizona slot machines—$10,000 and more! She claimed to “get a

feeling about a machine” and stuck with it for the payoff. She attributed her luck to being a Christmas kid.

Amanda lived a full life, always in her own way. She was an incredibly strong and private person, intelligent and generous, with a deep sense of fairness and equality. She knew she was loved; she will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.

Amanda is survived by her son John Alcazar; daughter Teresa Benton; cousin Lonna Urlich; grandchildren Ciera Barry, Andrea Alcazar, Carter Benton, and Sela Benton; and great grandchildren Seth Barry and James Barry.