As we get older, we naturally consider our life’s impact on the world we live in. What is our lasting legacy in the eyes of the people around us?
This is an easy question to answer for H. Jackson Clark II, aka “Jackson” and “JC,” who passed away on Aug. 28 (Herald, Oct. 1, Herald, Aug. 28). He was a timeless individual who made it his life’s mission to know people and to find out the best things about them and the value they offered to the world. He was a life builder and would work to know the depths of each person’s story and to weave the positive aspects of their contributions into the lives of the people around him.
The first thing that you would notice about Jackson is that he looked you in the eyes and listened intently to what you had to say. He was a classy guy and offered his entire mind in conversation. His thoughtful response would naturally start with a smile because he was always thinking of your best attributes and how the story you were sharing would brighten the world.
This is evidenced by the many emails he shared about the artists that worked with him. Jackson worked relentlessly to spread the skills of the many Native Americans with whom he worked. Their responses to his care and dedication is heart warming. Jackson and his sister Antonia have made Toh-Atin Gallery a world-class institution that celebrates the craftsmanship of Native American art. It is a place like none other, and if you haven’t been there, you owe yourself a visit. It is one of the cornerstones of Durango.
Jackson was a person of well-researched conviction. A trained journalist, he was not one to abandon a position based on the values he had learned just because it was the easy thing to do. Rather, he did his research and took a stand based on facts and truths. In this way, he was able to overcome the narrow-sighted indulgences of a college president.
Jackson would stay the course and never lose track of the people and causes he cared about. He was an athlete both mentally and physically. He was an accomplished snow and water skier, and he pushed himself to ride the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race. His mental gymnastics were evident in the depth of his conversations and cultural writings. He was fun to talk with because the conversation would be enhanced with well-placed questions meant to expand the discussion rather than direct it.
For those of us who were lucky enough to have known Jackson, we know that his legacy, his knowledge and wisdom, reaches far and wide. He has been one of the people who has positively shaped Durango’s history. The owl in Monument Canyon knows these things and sends out a joyful hoot. Happy trails, friend. The chief is saluting you with an open heart.
Rod E. Barker is a hospitality executive with more than 40 years of experience in the tour-travel-hospitality industry. He is the past owner of the historic Strater Hotel in Durango, and current co-owner of Wagon Road Ranch and Durango Historical Development Co. He is a longtime friend of Jackson Clark and the Clark family.
