Auburn businessman and leader in the community dead at 85

Auburn lost a longtime pillar of its business community this week.Harry Bolton Clark, owner of the Placer Land Company, died Tuesday after a yearlong battle with cancer and other illnesses. He was 85.Family members and friends are quick to note that Clark was involved in just about every service organization there was in Auburn and was a member of the Elks Club, Kiwanis Club and Moose Lodge.Clark was in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II. He served as president of the Placer County Board of Realtors and was a member of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce during the nearly 50 years he ran the Placer Land Company.Although he was known for being a community-minded businessman, his wife of 33 years, Barbara Clark, said he was also a loving husband and father, who had an unforgettable sense of humor."He was funny," she said. "You never knew what was going to come out. You'd ask him how he was and he'd always say, 'My usual disagreeable self.'"Clark also knew how to have a good time.An avid golfer, the couple spent many months of their courtship playing golf after they first met in 1972, Barbara Clark said.Clark's passion for golf lasted throughout his life, and he and his friends called themselves "The Dawn Patrol" since they'd often be out on the greens before 5:30 a.m, she said.Clark's longtime friend, Joe Carroll, said the businessman was a loyal friend and quick to lend a hand to his buddies when times got tough."Harry was a soft touch," Carroll said. "If he knew you and knew he was going to get paid back, there was always a box in the back room for a fast loan with no interest to hold you over until your next paycheck."His children describe him as "the best dad in the world.""My sister and I refer to him as our dear ole dad," said Suzie Steele of Slote, Calif. "He was a hands-on father. Back in those days there wasn't a lot of those."In addition to Steele and Maryanne Clark-McSwain, of Monte Sereno, both children from his first wife, Merrilee Clayborn-Clark, Clark is survived by stepchildren Kathy Poole, of Auburn, Kristy Lindquist, of Auburn, Leighton Poole, of Auburn, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sisters, Elizabeth Michaelson, of Paradise, Katherine Wood, of Provo, Utah, Dorothy Wall, of Auburn, and his brother, Bill Clark, of Tuscon, Ariz.A viewing for Clark will be held 4 to 8 p.m. tonight at Chapel of the Hills, 1331 Lincoln Way in Auburn. Graveside services will be held 2 p.m. Tuesday at New Auburn Cemetery, 1040 Collins Drive in Auburn.The Journal's Ryan Sabalow can be reached at ryans@goldcountrymedia. com.