In the early morning of Wednesday, September 5, 2018, at the age of 36, our beloved Clark William Deardorff reached the end of his heroic and inspirational earthly journey. He is now in the arms of his Creator and loved ones that have gone before him, especially his grandparents.

Clark was born in Lansdale, PA on January 18, 1982, and was a local boy through to the end. His childhood was spent outdoors with family and friends exploring the creek behind his parents' house in North Wales. He helped out at his Dad's dental practice and honed his trademark handyman skills from him. Another trademark was his enviable skills in cooking, baking, keeping a clutter-free, clean, and organized household, which he absorbed from his mom. Clark was also active in the community from a young age, playing and then coaching tennis, lifeguarding at the local swimming pool, and being involved in Trinity Lutheran church's service projects such as the Appalachia Service Project.

After enjoying his high school days North Penn High School where he was elected class Secretary, he then studied Biology and Government at Franklin and Marshall College. Before ecstatically landing a job at Merck Pharmaceuticals in Lansdale, Clark coached the Gwynedd Mercy High School Girls' Tennis Team and would always boast about the two championship titles they won.

At Merck, his entire career was spent supporting the Varicella vaccine franchise. Clark truly loved his job, going to work every day with a big smile on his face. With Clark around, there was plenty of laughter and practical jokes being played. Clark's biting wit and sarcasm were legendary. To know him was to laugh endlessly. All jokes aside though, he was exemplary at his job and was revered because of how good he was at it. Clark believed that no matter what you do in life, do it well and have fun. He definitely embodied that, just ask anyone who worked with him.

He finally settled in Harleysville, PA, where he eventually started a life with his beloved wife Celeste. They met at Merck, where they were friends for many years. They grew closer through their shared passion for tennis (Celeste once dazzled him with tennis balls from Wimbledon) and their similar interests in sports legend Michael Jordan, basketball, and in anything sports related. They filled their life together, along with their son Ares, with camping trips, outdoor adventures, beach trips, and many road trips in his beloved truck. Though he was terrified of flying and didn't fly much at all before Celeste (or BC as he lovingly called it), he was willing enough to get out of his comfort zone and travel to other countries. But Clark was happiest at home, going to Ares' baseball and basketball games, and working in his Home Depot-like garage, building and fixing things. Clark was a homebody, fully content being at home, growing where he was deeply rooted.

The last year of Clark's life was a public one, shared with a community of friends and strangers alike, that rallied behind him while he defied death's door during the fateful summer of 2017 when he battled sepsis and its after effects for 3 months in the ICU. Though he survived such trauma, he was left a quadruple amputee. When he was admitted to the hospital, his wife Celeste was 12 days away from delivering their baby girl who her brother ended up naming Ava. He missed her birth and did not get to meet her until she was 2 months old. They were blessed to have spent a little over a year together. His story is one of inspiration, because of how he persevered through it all with such positive attitude and determination.

He worked extremely hard to function with his prostheses and fought to superhuman heights so that one day he could walk again. Clark adjusted to his new normal with so much hope and faith, despite the gravity of what he had to deal with. He woke up every day with no complaints, bravely attending all of his son's baseball and basketball games no matter how difficult it was physically. He had so much joy in the little things, like being able to take his son to the bus stop, pick him up after school, do homework, read books, and play. He was able to go to movies and dinners with his wife, her favorite things to do. There was no stopping him in living and enjoying life to the fullest.

Clark's life may have been cut short, but those three and a half decades were lived abundantly and without regrets. To know Clark is to love him with all your heart because he was kindness personified. He was the son and brother who was always there for you. He was the neighbor who helped out anytime you need it. He was the friend you called when you needed to move homes, or have a faucet leak fixed, or to just provide perspective on your troubles. He was the fiancé who would build twelve farm tables by himself for his wedding. He was the always present father who placed his son above everything else - he was the dad who wrote silly notes and jokes and placed them in lunch bags, the dad who said I love you constantly, baked goodies for his birthdays, suits up as a dinosaur for his birthday party, had the patience to do his homework and Kumon workbooks everyday, made the time to do the little things - theirs was a father and son relationship that was full of joy and deep laughter.

Clark will forever be loved and missed by his life partner and best friend Celeste and his children Ares, Ava, and twin boys due to arrive in December; parents Sue and Chip (Curt); grandmother Lois; mom-in-law Esther; sisters Sara and Lisa; sisters-in-law Joan and Grace; brothers-in-law Keith, Adam, Caydan, Kris, and Koudjo; nephew Nicholas and nieces Keira, Annabelle, Vivi, and Rosamund; aunts Barbara, Cindy, and Janet; uncles Dan and Dana; and cousins, Darcey, Alyssa and Kaelynn.

He will also be dearly missed by friends who he made laugh and who he left an everlasting imprint on their lives. He taught and coached tennis to so many who still greatly appreciate the life lessons he taught them more than the tennis tips. He will be missed by the little kids he coached in Harleysville Little League who he made smile and were inspired by him. He will be missed by everyone who supported and encouraged him through his recovery because he embodied strength of character like no other. He will be missed by those who cared for him at the Lehigh Valley Hospital who helped save his life and were moved by his incredible story of never giving up. He will be missed by the Moss Rehab team and Lawall Prosthetics who loved, supported, and went above and beyond to help Clark.

He was a beautiful soul who was too good to be on this earth. He leaves us all reeling with sadness because we know that people like him come by once in a lifetime. But we should, as he moves on from his earthly journey, honor him. To honor Clark, please tell more jokes and laugh hard and often. Play with your kids often and make them number one priority. Write your spouse love letters and little notes of how much they are loved and supported. Spend valuable time with your parents. Dare to move out of your comfort zone. Spend a day in the woods just to appreciate its beauty. Fish in a creek. Go camping often. Make delicious jams and applesauce. Bake a shoofly pie or learn how to make something different like a cassava cake. Build a farm table or create something with your own hands. Treat your neighbors like they are family. Appreciate everyone around you and say thank you constantly. Offer a helping hand no matter how small or large the task. Never talk bad about anyone. Be patient with people all the time. Be kind and understand that everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. Be an extraordinary husband, father, son, brother, friend, mentor, and coach. For Clark was all of this and more.

An email address has been created for you to share your memories of Clark or to write him a note.  This will act as a "memory box" for the family, particularly for his young children and the as-yet-unborn twins. Don't hold back on your stories of Clark for they will be treasured dearly and forever. Write about the laughter, the tears, the intimate conversations, the road trips, the shenanigans of youth, the baseball games, the tennis matches, the life lessons he's imparted that will never leave you, and any other moments you've had with Clark that will convey to his children that their father was uniquely kind and good and that he lived so fully and loved so deeply. Send your stories to: irondad23@gmail.com

A celebration of Clark's life will be on Saturday, September 29 at 1:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1000 W. Main Street, Lansdale, PA 19446. A reception will follow immediately at the church, where the family will greet guests.

The Clark Deardorff Memorial Fund has been established to assist Celeste, Ares, Ava, and the twins in this time of uncertainty and as they embark on a new chapter in life. Any checks should be made out to Clark Deardorff Memorial Fund and sent to:

Clark Deardorff Memorial Fund Univest Bank and Trust Co.

Souderton Financial Center

10 West Broad Street

PO Box 197

Souderton, PA 18964

Online donations should go to:

www.paypal.me/deardorffmemorial . When utilizing the online donation please specify you are sending money to "Friends and Family" to avoid the PayPal fee.

We'll end with sharing Clark's favorite quote from Jimmy Valvano: "If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."