SARAH A. CLARK had a thousand-watt smile that touched anyone who saw it. That smile captured the heart of her beloved husband, Dr. Robert Clark, a scientist whom she met more than three decades ago when the two of them worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico. The couple lived, loved, and laughed for nearly 31 years before pancreatic cancer claimed her as a victim. Mrs. Clark died December 16, 2024, in La Posada-Mesilla Valley Hospice in Las Cruces, N.M., after tenaciously battling the dreaded disease for 4-1/2 years. She was 69.

Bob and Sarah Clark were virtually inseparable from the moment they met. For them life was a grand adventure that took them all over the world. It began In Los Alamos, where Bob was an atomic physicist at LANL. Bob said it was her high voltage smile that first attracted him to her, and it was not long before their relationship turned into engagement, and on January 8, 1994, marriage. They lived in Los Alamos until Bob secured a position with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, and the couple moved to Vienna on August 1, 1999. It would be 10 years before they returned.

During their time in Vienna, they traveled extensively for Bob's work. Among the countries they visited were Japan, China, India, Argentina, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Czechia, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Portugal and Slovakia. One of the things Sarah enjoyed greatly about their time in Vienna was having friends and family visit to share the experience of living in a famed and historic European city.

Sarah loved to travel and to learn about the places she and Bob visited. She had a great sense of curiosity and detail. If she developed an interest in something she was all-in; she didn't do anything halfway. Her greatest interest was in genealogy, an interest initially sparked by her mother. She developed a great ability to research old and long- forgotten documents, such as birth and marriage certificates, to trace not only her own family's background and ancestors, but also others'. She never turned down a request to help someone find long-lost ancestors.

Sarah was a wonderful mother and stepmother and dealt with having four teenagers at home simultaneously. She is remembered for being graceful and kind but still having a strong "Mom" voice. She is also remembered as having a warm and caring heart and always thinking about others. The blankets she knitted for her grandchildren and step-grandchildren are still treasured.

Sarah Anne Stepanovich was born July 15, 1955, in Paso Robles, California, to Milan and Elizabeth Stepanovich. Her very early years were spent at her family's home on her maternal grandparents' ranch near Templeton, CA. Her desire to learn was evidenced early on by an exchange with her grandmother, who was a piano teacher and church organist. Her eldest brother, Michael, was taking piano lessons from their grandmother, whom Sarah observed intently. When she was about 2- or 3-years-old, she asked her grandmother, "Can you give me teeny 'pan-e-o' lessons?"

The family moved to Paso Robles in 1958 where Sarah began elementary school before moves to Tucson, AZ., and Yreka, CA. While in Yreka, Sarah again demonstrated her acuity. The family enjoyed playing cards, and Sarah became an excellent pinochle player, quickly grasping the nuances of a complex card game. One time her brother Mike came home from college for a weekend with two friends who also enjoyed pinochle. When one of the visitors suggested they play, Mike said he'd take his sister Sarah as his partner. The two friends smirked, thinking this would lead to easy wins, until 10-year-old Sarah came to the table wearing a green eyeshade and sleeve garters, shuffling and riffing the cards and saying, "Next!" The siblings administered a sound beating to the stunned visitors, who asked the following day if Sarah would be their partner.

The family later settled in Silver City, N.M., where in 1973 Sarah graduated from Silver High School. She attended both Western New Mexico University and the University of New Mexico before transferring to the University of Texas at El Paso where she graduated in May 1978 with a degree in linguistics. In addition to English, she spoke Spanish and German and studied Swahili for her degree.

She married soon after her college graduation and had two children before divorcing and worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Her life with husband Bob Clark was happy and fulfilling with school activities, their church, genealogical research, travel, and supporting Bob in his work. She was involved with several genealogical organizations, including the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the Mayflower Society, and The Order of the Crown of Charlemagne. One of her favorite genealogical accomplishments was researching and verifying that she and her husband were both Descendants of the Illegitimate Offspring of the Kings of England, making her and her husband "royal bastards." That always gave her a laugh.

After her husband's retirement from LANL and IAEA, they settled in San Antonio, TX., for a time before moving to Las Cruces, where they have lived the last 10 years.

Sarah is survived by her husband, Dr. Robert Edward Holmes Clark, of Las Cruces; son Daniel Tiefa of Seattle, WA; daughter Diana Nijenhuis (Wietse) and granddaughters Charlotte and Emilia Nijenhuis of Brooklyn, N.Y.; stepdaughter Robin Clark and step-grandson Oliver Alm of Akron, IA; stepdaughter Victoria Clark and step-grandson Scout Fuller-Clark of Longmont, CO.; brother Michael Stepanovich (Cheryle) of Las Vegas, NV.; sister Jane Shumaker (Wes) of Los Alamos and Silver City; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother John B. Stepanovich.

Her Memorial service is scheduled at 10 AM Saturday, February 15, 2025, at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 518 Alameda Blvd., Las Cruces.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the American Cancer Society in Sarah's name.

Cremation has been entrusted to the care of Baca's Funeral Chapel of Las Cruces and Sunset Crematory, 300 E. Boutz Road, 527-2222. Your exclusive provider for "Veterans and Family Memorial Care." For online condolences logon to www.bacasfuneralchapelslascruces.com