I had the honor of serving alongside Stan Clark in the State Senate for 2 years of his decade of service. As I and many of his colleagues will attest, Senator Clark was unwavering in his pursuit of issues based upon principle. He deservedly earned a reputation for being a conscientious and dedicated legislator. As peers, we valued his thoroughness in considering each piece of legislation and his deliberate, detail-oriented analysis of policy affecting his constituents. He always knew more about pending legislation than any other member of the State Senate.

Stan dedicated himself to public service on behalf of Kansans, and especially those who call northwest Kansas home, and he did it with conviction and purpose. The fact that Senator Clark sought elective office is in itself unusual. He had to convince the leadership of the Dunkard Brethren Church that public service was an appropriate calling for a Christian, for his church firmly believed that a person must not be conformed to this world. I cannot imagine a congregation that can be more proud of a decision to allow a member of their church to pursue public office. Stan did not conform to the things of this world but worked to transform the world and to perfect the will of God.

A lifelong Kansan, Stan was always true to his roots. He lived a life guided by the morals and values we in Kansas hold dear. He was motivated to do the right thing in each and every circumstance. In today’s partisan arena where there is too much Republican this and Democrat that, Stan put people above politics. Although Stan was not always able to convince everyone of the rightness of his position, nor was he always in the majority when the votes were cast, he treated every person with dignity and respect.

His humility and his warm, genuine grin, which originated deep within his heart, won him the love of friends and the respect of opponents. He lived his life striving to follow Paul's instructions in Romans 12:

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly to one another with brotherly love, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, given to hospitality. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no evil for evil. If it is possible, live peaceably with men. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

In a speech just a few days before his death, addressing those gathered at a Vietnam moving wall displayed in his hometown of Oakley, Kansas, Stan told his neighbors his thoughts about death and as a result his thoughts about life. These are his words.

“Thinking about death produces a true love for life. When we are familiar with death, we accept each day and each week as a gift. This acceptance helps us to see all human life as priceless. Only when we are able to accept life, bit by bit, does it become precious. Only this awareness of death creates true inward freedom from material things. When we look death in the face, we overcome ambition and greed and the love of power and the fear of losing material things. When we look at ourselves, we realize how weak and misguided we can be. If we have not had the thought of death, we cannot achieve an inward freedom to live. When we bury death’s control over our own lives and experience freedom and peace of mind, life becomes a gift that we can share with others.”

After his commitment to his faith, most important to Stan was his family. He devoted endless love and attention to his wife, Ruth, and their son, Will. Most common was Stan's dedication to balancing public responsibilities with a commitment to quality time shared with his family.