Lavada Ruth Clark passed into the loving arms of Jesus on December 21, 2025 surrounded by peace and love. Born Lavada Ruth West to Archie and Aileen West on August 2nd, 1942 at home in Saint Joseph, Missouri. She graduated from Benton High School in 1960, then attended St Joseph Junior College. She graduated from Central Missouri State in Warrensburg in 1964. She later earned her Masters Degree at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville.
Ruth married the “not so famous” Dick Clark in 1967. They were married for 43 years. Together, they built an incredible life of love, filled with family, friends, and activities such as: softball, golf, and bowling. She was an elementary art and classroom teacher at Hosea Elementary School, retiring in 1994.One of her most prized honors was receiving the Teacher of the Year Award. Anyone who knows Ruth, knows she was fiercely competitive, and was the absolute best at everything she did.
She was a teacher, an artist, a room-filling personality, and a devoted Baptist. Ruth was a decades-long Sunday School teacher and spiritual counselor. Her faith in Christ Jesus was the cornerstone of her life. Though she never had children of her own, she was a dedicated aunt, foster mother, daughter, sister, wife, educator, and friend: leaving a positive impact on the countless lives she touched.
She is preceded in death by her parents (Bob and Aileen West), husband (Richard Clark), and brother (Clyde West). She is survived by her brother, Norman (Shari) West, sister, Sarah Westrich, niece, Emily West (Dustin Billings), nephew, William West (Brynn Johnson), niece, Elizabeth (Michael) Fisher, great nephews, Michael, Remi, & Isaiah, great nieces, Dani and Auni, foster children, Joe Crump, Bill Crump, and Betty Allen, and many many friends.
Her Celebration of Life will be held at the Rupp Funeral Home to be announced with Interment at Memorial Park Cemetery to follow. In lieu of flowers, Ruth wished for donations to the Missouri Baptist Children's Home in Chillicothe.
