Leslie Carleton Clark

Leslie Carlton Clark was born March 13, 1958, in McNary, Arizona, to Richard Carleton and Elizabeth Hicks (Wise) Cooley. She passed away on December 14, 2023, in Vernon, Arizona, at the age of 65.

Leslie was born and raised on Arizona’s Fort Apache Indian Reservation. She graduated in 1976 from Alchesay High School as class valedictorian. Leslie continued her education at the University of Arizona where she was a pre-med major. She graduated with a Bachelors of Science.

While living in Tucson and attending the U of A, Leslie was blessed with a son, Christopher. They moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where Leslie raised her son and pursued a career in nursing. Les worked in various nursing roles during her career, dedicating her final few years providing assisted living care to the elderly and infirmed. After she retired in 2020, Leslie returned “home” to Arizona’s White Mountains to enjoy retirement.

A genuine green-thumb, Leslie enjoyed gardening and caring for her many thriving plants. She was also a home-grown chef that enjoyed preparing all types of food. She loved her dogs and had a lifelong dedication to basset hounds—a trait she acquired from her mother. Leslie was also a news-junkie who stayed on top of current affairs and anything involving the Kansas City Chiefs. She was an annoyingly hard-core and dedicated Chiefs fan!

Leslie will be remembered as a caring and loving mother to her son, Chris. She was as dedicated and loyal as they come. Les was also an extremely independent person. She had a very sharp and witty sense of humor, always avoiding pointless gossip in favor of meaningful conversation. An adventurous foodie, she was a consistently generous and thoughtful host.

Leslie is survived by her son, Christopher Clark and her brothers, Jon and Anthony Cooley. She was preceded in death by her father, Richard “Dick” Cooley (1976), and her mother, Elizabeth “Liz” Wise (2018).