The Life of Clark

Clark Kotula was a great explorer of jungles, ruins and exotic animals; a wader of streams, a swinger of vines, a radiator of warmth and light. Clark’s life was an odyssey of bold adventures wrapped in silver linings. He found light and laughter everywhere in every corner of the earth and every friend he wove into the fabric of his life. He challenged us to see the world in ways we couldn’t imagine. From the ocean depths off Little Corn Island to Torres del Paine’s highest peaks to the heart of the Glenwood home he built with his beloved Jacqui, Carter and Blake - adventure, laughter, love and silver linings followed Clark everywhere he went.

Clark left our world suddenly and all too soon on June 18, 2024. He was having a normal work day hosting a webinar for travel agents. He chose to be at the Loch Lomond yacht club in his neighborhood that morning, a place that brought him peace and quiet as it sits by the San Francisco Bay bathed in the morning sun. His cause of death was a ruptured dissecting aneurysm of his aorta which occurred instantly and painlessly with no forewarning. This is what took him on his next adventure.  This tragedy is shocking as Clark was a shining example of health - and the pathology report confirmed this.  He was otherwise completely healthy - clearly looked after himself by exercising and enjoying a life in balance.  

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 18, 1977, Clark was “the boss of his own self” from the start - and he made sure his parents, and everyone else, knew it. His early years were filled with a hunger for knowledge and a thirst for adventure. Folklore has it that Clark saw Romancing The Stone when he was nine years old and announced he wanted to be just like Jack Colton one day, and he was. 

Clark’s deep love of exploration and discovery often led him to the road less traveled. Taking the easy road was far too easy for Clark. There was far more adventure and fun to be found on unbeaten paths and uncharted waters, and Clark always managed to find it. 

Like everything else in life, Clark pursued learning and education with an innate sense of curiosity and fervor. He earned dual degrees in Latin American Studies and Outdoor Program Administration from Prescott College in Arizona. Prescott not only equipped Clark with the right tools, but a profound appreciation of the world’s beauty, and the people in it. It also led him to the adventure of a lifetime as a whitewater rafting and trekking guide in Cusco, Peru. It was there, while rafting the Apurimac River, that he met Jacqui, the love of his life. Before long, Clark and Jacqui were traveling together, living together, working together, and laying the foundation for their rich, adventure-filled life together. 

Clark’s professional career was dedicated to sharing the magic of the people and places he loved. Central and South America captured his heart as quickly as Jacqui had, and he wanted to spread the love and silver linings he found with any and everyone he could. In 2002, Clark and Jacqui founded a non-profit organization “Dental Project Peru” together that provided free emergency dental care and education to the poorest indigenous communities of the Peruvian Andes.  After a decade in Peru, Clark and Jacqui moved to San Francisco in 2007. Clark spent close to 5 years working for Geographic Expeditions, where he was recognized by Conde Nast Traveler as the world's top travel specialist for Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. He founded Clark Kotula Representation which provides authentic travel experiences that marry Central and South America’s firm sense of place with the harmony of the cultural and natural world around it. Clark loved his work - it gave him the chance to share his infectious enthusiasm for all things water (surfing, kite-boarding, rafting, kayaking, scuba diving) and land (mountain biking, hiking and trekking), along with human connection and kindness. The road less traveled continued to pave the way for decades of Clark’s adventures. 

Beyond his travels, Clark was known for his storytelling, humor, humility and warmth. He cherished his adventures with Carter, Blake and Jacqui more than anything. He soaked up the sun and the fun with the Glenwood and Meat Bee communities that he and Jacqui had forged together. He loved cheering for Carter and Blake on the sidelines, hosting pool parties, manning the grill in the backyard and serving up steaks, stories and silver linings.

Above all else, Clark was an enormously proud and enamored husband to Jacqui, deeply devoted father to Carter and Blake, son to Mitch and Lynn, brother to Mitch, son-in-law to John and Freda, brother-in-law to Angela, Stuart, Neil, Jane and Nicole. He was Uncle Clark to Neve, Maddie, Fraser, Mitchel, John, Callum, Jack and Meredith. And a cherished friend to countless people around the world. Clark lived life to its fullest every single day, and in doing so deeply touched countless people from Cusco to Cartagena, Rancho Santana to San Rafael and every single person who had the privilege of knowing him.

Clark’s untimely departure leaves an immeasurable void in the hearts of those who loved him. The legacy he leaves is marked by boundless curiosity, fearless explorations, and a profound love for his family, friends and the world he so passionately explored.