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Smith’s journey through life was marked by dedication, courage and an extraordinary passion for the natural world.

Smith Clark, a man whose life was as profound and varied as the mountains he so loved, passed away peacefully at his residence on June 17, 2026, after a month of home hospice care provided by Mountain Home Healthcare of Taos, his wife Virginia Clark and Gallina Canyon neighbors' assistance. Born on November 14, 1940, in Santa Monica, California, Smith’s journey through life was marked by dedication, courage and an extraordinary passion for the natural world.

His career was a remarkable tapestry woven from two distinct yet deeply meaningful threads. For many years, Smith served as a police officer in Santa Monica, California — a role in which he exhibited unwavering commitment to justice and the safety of his community. Those who knew him in this capacity remember a steadfast guardian, a protector whose calm strength brought reassurance in the most turbulent moments. He retired from the department after a gunshot wound to his right hand.

Yet beyond the sirens and the badge, Smith explored a far gentler calling. He became a renowned trainer of large marine mammals, specializing in the orca whales of Marineland, also in Santa Monica. His hands carried a rare tenderness, his voice a gentle command, as he worked in harmony with these majestic creatures of the deep. Through this unique connection, Smith forged a legacy amid the rolling waves, a testament to the profound bond between human and nature.

He moved to New Mexico in 1980 in order to get his Bachelor' s degree in ski area teaching and management at New Mexico Highlands University of Las Vegas, becoming a Taos Ski Valley Resort Ski Instructor, where he taught every year for 42 years, until 2022, when the pandemic shut down the resort for that season.

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He exhibited unwavering commitment to justice and the safety of his community.

Smith also ran the Rio Grande and Chama rivers over 10 seasons as a boatman for Los Rios River Runners. He became a pilot and volunteered in Search & Rescue (SAR) with Civil Air Patrol for over a decade, assisting in yearly SAR courses, becoming ultimately a Civil Air Patrol Captain. 

An avid sportsman, Smitty loved working on and riding motorcycles and a Harley Davidson Tryke. He also built his entire home on the 4.5 forested acres of his Gallina Canyon home in Valdez. 

At his side throughout 38 seasons of his remarkable life stood his beloved wife, Virginia. Their partnership, rooted in love and mutual support, was a steady beacon through the years, embodying the warmth and home that anchored his adventurous spirit.

Smith is proceeded in death by his parents Francis Guilford and Dana (Newberry) Clark; and his 17-year-old son Patrick Dean "Charlie" Clark, who died October 22, 1980.

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His hands carried a rare tenderness, his voice a gentle command, as he worked in harmony with these majestic creatures of the deep.

He is survived by his remaining son Michael Clark, wife Julie, and two grandchildren Tim and Jenny Clark, and their two children Jenson and Adelaide; as well as Smith's granddaughter Melanie Clark, husband Nate Drechsler and great granddaughter Althea Drechsler; his daughter Lori Clark and her three boys, Joseph Clark, John and Jeremy Hensley. 

The family wishes to thank the wonderful staff of Mountain Home Healthcare & Hospice for their amazingly generous care and support of Smith "Smitty" and Virginia Clark during May and June 2026 and for further support through 2027.

Smith Clark’s passing leaves an irreplaceable silence, yet his story continues in the hearts of those who witnessed his courage, his compassion, and his quiet marvel at the beauty of the sea and slopes. In this final chapter, we honor a life well-lived, a soul that found purpose both in serving humanity and celebrating the wild whispers of Nature.