Ross W Clark

Ross W. Clark, 81, of Mansfield, Ohio passed away quietly at home, surrounded by his family, on March 12, 2023.

Ross was born in Rexburg, Idaho on June 10, 1941 to Rulon J. Clark and Helen Welker Clark. Ross was elder brother to five siblings: Janice Bingham, Rex W. Clark, Marlene Rogers, Kevin W. Clark, and Kyle W. Clark.

He had a happy small-town childhood. He graduated from Madison High School in 1959 and attended Ricks College in Rexburg.

He served a mission in the Northern Germany Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from November 1960 through May 1963.

In July 1963 Ross married VeAnn Scott. They were blessed with eight children. Ross and VeAnn were divorced in 1979.

On December 31, 1983, Ross married Andrea Jan Nelson. They were blessed with four children.

Ross was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many capacities over the years. His favorite assignment was teacher to the adult Sunday School classes.

In 1989, Ross and Andrea joined Andrea’s sister, Brenda, and her husband, Shae Anderson in forming a small carousel restoration and carving business, The Carousel Man. In 1993, the families moved their business to Mansfield, Ohio and renamed it Carousel Magic! Ross was the head woodcarver and Chief Operating Officer of Carousel Magic! for twenty years.

He carved many different animals in many different styles, including horses, giraffes, lions, otters, frogs, cheetahs, farm animals, and sea dragons. Ross retired from Carousel Magic! in 2010.

Ross was also a semi-professional photographer for over sixty years. He was especially talented in photographing people and capturing images of them at their best. Ross was dedicated to the proposition that having beautiful photographs changes the way a person thinks about herself or himself.

Ross served on the Board of Directors of Destination Mansfield for more than twenty years. He was elected Chairman of the Board several times, and is the immediate past Chairman. Ross also served on the Board of Directors of Miss Ohio Scholarship Program for several years. He was an enthusiastic supporter of local youth theater and music programs.