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LOSS AND LEARNING: Springfield Newsleader article about my story and my blog


When Veronica Clarke learned her husband of 20 years had been killed in a plane crash, these were her first thoughts:

"This was supposed to happen. We chose this. You have to be strong. This will heal many hearts. Now go tell the kids."
It was Nov. 10, 2012.
She was a 38-year-old mother of four, and her kids ranged in age from 10 to 17...
To read the full article click the title link


Transcripts From california broadcasts



FATHER AND SON KILLED IN SHAVER LAKE CRASH

November 11, 2012 12:00:00 AM PST
The investigation continues into a deadly plane crash near Shaver Lake. Friends say the victims are a doctor and his businessman father.
The twin engine Cessna was heading to Nebraska when it crashed in the Sierra.
Authorities found the fiery wreckage Saturday night near Dinkey Creek and Nevins Road in the Shaver Lake area.
Investigators spent the morning flying over these skies looking for parts of the plane that were sheared off during impact. Investigators say finding those pieces will give them some insight into what caused the crash.
People throughout Shaver Lake heard the crash that killed a father and son on Saturday night. Brian Seniff was on his lunch break and heard the plane slam into the ground before he called 9-1-1.
"It just sounded like it was cutting out. The motor was like cutting out and then it went back on and when it went down and then it hit and that was it," Seniff said.
Action News has learned new details about that crash. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board say the twin engine Cessna took off from Salinas at about 6:30 on Saturday evening and was headed to Omaha, Nebraska.
About 50 minutes into the flight the plane fell off the radar.
"The airplane climbed to about 27 thousand feet and a few minutes later air traffic control observed the airplane rapidly descending," Eliott Simpson of the National Transportation Board said. "The only piece of the wreckage we have at the accident site is the main fuselage, we have yet to locate the wings or the tail section."
The NTSB says the plane did not have a black box onboard but investigators are hoping its GPS system will give them some insight into the moments that led to the wreck .
The NTSB is now trying to locate the tail section and the wings of the plane.
Both victims of the crash are prominent members of their communities and come from a large family.
According to KETV the victims have been identified by the family's church in Omaha, Nebraska.
The pilot, 41-year-old Scott Clarke, is from Springfield, Missouri. He's an anesthesiologist at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. He's listed as the registered owner of the plane that crashed.
Dr. Clarke is survived by his wife and four kids between the ages of 10 and 17.
According to friends and family Dr. Clarke was flying with his father, 67-year-old Patrick Clarke.
He was a financial planner who founded a major investment firm, CLS Investments, in Omaha. 
The family's bishop says when they heard about the crash they were hoping for good news.
"Very tragic and unexpected thing to happen. We were hopeful, the first news I received was that maybe only one passed away. Then probably an hour or two later it was confirmed that both died," Troy Thompson said.
Both Patrick and Scott Clarke were leaders in the Boy Scouts. They also volunteered much of their time with the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.


ACTION NEWS EXCLUSIVE: PLANE CRASH SITE, WIDOW SPEAKS OUT

November 12, 2012 12:00:00 AM PST
Investigators are getting ready to move the wreckage of a plane that crashed near Shaver Lake over the weekend.
The crash that killed Patrick and Scott Clarke left behind a lot of damage -- both emotional and physical.
Investigators tell Action News the pieces of the puzzle are just starting to come together, but there are a few details that were obvious in video of the wreckage that you'll only see on Action News.
The damage could've been a lot worse, but there's no way anybody could've survived the crash.
Flipped upside-down and burned from the inside out, the Cessna 421 is barely a shell of its former self.
A propeller blade on the twin engine plane points straight up to the sky from which it fell extremely quickly on Saturday night.
As it descended, the plane lost pieces of its wings and tail, giving investigators a challenge as they try to explain the crash.
"They're just pieces of the puzzle, so we'll be laying the wings out, when we find them, with the rest of the wreckage," said NTSB investigator Eliott Simpson.
Fire burned through the cockpit, but only a small circle burned around the crash site.
And the plane didn't cut through any trees as it fell to the ground in one of the few open fields on this national forest land.
Anesthesiologist Scott Clarke took off from Salinas a little after 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
His flight plan was supposed to take him to Omaha, Nebraska, where he planned to drop off his father, Patrick, before heading home to Springfield, Missouri.
Clarke only started flying relatively recently, but his widow says it was a passion he took seriously.
"He was just so concerned about safety always," said Veronica Clarke, from her home in Springfield. "And when we looked at trading in different planes it was always to find a plane that safer, that he felt like would be safer. We went to this twin engine because he wanted our whole family to be able to go on it and because it was such a safe plane."
Mrs. Clarke says her husband was a frequent nighttime flyer, so the late hour of his final flight was never a concern.
Now, she's left with emotional damage to match the physical damage at the scene where life as she knew it came to an end.
"He was a wonderful husband and father anybody could ever wish for," she said. "He lived to take care of us."
Some of the Clarkes' family members actually came to Shaver Lake Monday to survey the wreckage and to arrange to pick up the victims.
The plane itself will be headed, in pieces, to Sacramento, where the NTSB will conduct most of its investigation.

Transcripts from Local News Broadcasts


Family of plane crash victim Dr. Scott Clarke reflects on his legacy

Scott and Veronica Clarke had been married 20 years.
November 12, 2012|by Sara Forhetz, KY3 News | sforhetz@ky3.com

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A family is grieving the loss of their father and grandfather.  The Mercy Springfield medical community is also mourning Dr. Scott Clarke, a physician here for the last eight years.
Clarke, 41, was well-known and well-respected in this area.  He was a pain management doctor and those who know him best say he had a huge heart for all his patients.
Clarke was piloting a plane that crashed on Saturday evening near Fresno, Calif.  His father also died in the crash.
Those who knew Clarke best will remember him for his deep faith and giving heart.
Tears flowed and joy radiated as Clarke's wife and three of his four children reflected on their memories on Monday.
"He was the best husband and father that you could ever hope for," said Veronica Clarke, Scott Clarke’s wife.
Veronica and Scott were high school sweethearts.  This year marked their 20th year of marriage.  She says Scott had a passion for family, faith, and medicine.

It made it where he was able to talk and be with his family until the end -- and dad was over there every night,” said Alex Clarke, Scott’s teenage son.
Clarke was on a father-son outing with his dad, who lived in Omaha.  The two had been in Laguna Beach, Calif., for a fun weekend together.  They were on their way back to Omaha when their Cessna 421 plane went down in a mountainous area outside Fresno.
Deputies from the sheriff's department there say several people called at dusk to say the plane was flying low before it crashed into the ground at a high speed.  It took nearly 30 minutes to locate the wreckage. 
"We normally flew every weekend, just about every weekend somewhere, so he flew quite a bit.  He did it so he could stay current and stay a safe pilot."
His children will remember their dad as their hero.
"Kids in elementary school always say that about their dad but that stops at a certain age, but it didn't for me.  I always told people my dad is the greatest person I know and it is true,” said Alex.
Clarke left behind four children, ages 17, 15, 13, 10.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating what caused the crash.  Veronica Clarke says her husband had just picked up the plane from a maintenance facility in Wichita.
Services for Clarke are Thursday at 6:30 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Ingram Mill Road at Bennett Street.  The public invited to attend.
The family hopes to hear from those touched by Clarke’s work.  The family requests any story or memory of him to be sent by email.

Family remembers doctor from Springfield killed in plane crash as loving husband, father


Dr. Scott Clarke and his father died on Saturday night in a crash near Fresno, Calif.
November 12, 2012|By Melody Pettit, KSPR News | mpettit@kspr.com

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The NTSB reports the skies were clear at the time of the crash and Dr. Scott Clarke's family says he was a safe, conscientious and experienced pilot.  They say it was not pilot error and want people to remember what Scott stood for.
“Dad [Scott] was always asking Alex to learn songs from the radio because he loved his voice,” said Scott’s wife, Veronica.
This was a song he wanted me to learn,” said 17-year old Alex as he began to play the guitar.
It’s a voice the Clarke family says Scott will hear again. They are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and believe families are forever.
“We know we can be with him again. He’s busy on the other side doing great things,” said Veronica.
Just like the great things he did while he was alive. Scott was a physician at Mercy Hospital. His wife says he bought the plane to make house calls in and around the Ozarks, helping dozen's of patients too sick and too poor to travel.

“Everything he did was to help someone. He was never selfish about anything,” said Alex.
To his wife, Scott was a dedicated husband.  To 10-year-old Rachel, 13-year-old Eric, 16-year-old Cooper, and Alex, he was their hero.
“We feel we got all the love condensed into the years we had him, that's why he had so much love. He had to give it all in such a short amount of time,” said Veronica.
Many people have shared stories about Scott on KSPR’s Facebook page. Memories by people in the Ozarks who knew him.
The Clarke family wants those memories. They encourage everyone to email them to a special address, lifememoriesofscott@yahoo.com
The Clarke family is holding a memorial on Thursday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 1357 South Ingram Mill Road. The public is invited to attend.
A family greeting of friends will be held at 6pm followed by a memorial service at 6:30pm.

The family will bury Scott and his father in Omaha, Nebraska later this week.


news cast about plane crash

news article on Dr Clarke's legacy

1 comment:

  1. Veronica, where are you? How are you? I'm still in China and I think about you and wonder how your life is progressing. It still hurts, how well I know. It is confusing and scary and long. But we widows all know and we do worry about each other. Meghan

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