Former Des Plaines Fire Chief David Clark dies at 86
Des Plaines firefighters will honor former Chief David P. Clark with a traditional bell-ringing ceremony Wednesday night before a funeral Mass the next morning.
Clark, 86, of Chicago, died Jan. 10.
Formerly of Des Plaines, Clark was born July 4, 1938, in Honolulu. His father, Robert, was in the U.S. Navy and stationed at Pearl Harbor before and during World War II.
Clark followed in his dad’s footsteps and served in the Navy before going into the fire service.
Clark was hired as a Des Plaines firefighter in 1962 and promoted to lieutenant in 1966. He continued climbing up the chain of command and was named chief in 1985, a post he held until retiring in 1993.
Tom Farinella served as deputy chief under Clark before succeeding him as chief in 1993. Farinella recalled first meeting Clark upon joining the department in 1974. Clark was a deputy chief in charge of training at the time.
“He was very serious, very intimidating to us as new firefighters,” Farinella said. “He took training extremely seriously.”
Clark’s focus on training continued when he became chief, Farinella said. Clark also pushed to get his crews state-of-the art vehicles and equipment, down to their protective coats and helmets, Farinella said.
Clark also successfully pushed the city council to require automatic fire sprinklers in many large buildings, including condominiums and factories, Farinella said. The mandate applied to newly built structures and existing ones, he said.
Farinella called Clark the best fire chief in the city’s history.
“He was very interested in keeping our firefighters safe and keeping our citizens safe,” Farinella said.
Clark moved to Galena after retiring but came back to the Chicago area. In recent years, he met Farinella and a group of former Des Plaines officials for lunch three or four times a month.
“We got to be really, really, really good friends,” Farinella said. “I’m so happy that, after I retired (in 2004) I got to spend that time with him.”
Clark loved to travel and was an avid reader of history books, especially ones about naval aviation and World War II. He was a lifelong Chicago Bears fan, too.
Survivors include his wife, Martha, two daughters, six grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and a sister.
Visitation is scheduled to run from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at G.L. Hills Funeral Home, 745 Graceland Ave., Des Plaines. It will be followed by a eulogy and then the bell ceremony at 6:45 p.m.
A prayer service is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. A funeral Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Stephen the Protomartyr Catholic Church, 1280 Prospect Ave., Des Plaines.
Interment will be private.