Reminiscing the Duffy

 Clark Duffy

I remember meeting Clark the first time at a City of Topeka Economic Development Committee meeting. This was a great committee where the public could come and make a presentation as an individual. I was pitching the College Hill Project. During the presentation, he looked at Gary Price and I could see then I had an advocate.

Over time it was apparent that political affiliation was not a benchmark for friendship, nor should it. Going out to Chapman was great. I have a great picture of Clark by the second largest cottonwood tree in Kansas (I will locate it asap). He sure loved the cattle business and the thought of grass feed beef. Chapman Creek Cattle Company, he was a rancher.

I looked at Clark as a brother. He had a interesting technique of mentoring, it was until years into my sobriety that I understood the points he was making. He cared.

On of his best initiatives Advantage Topeka need a second look. His goal was to keep young people in Topeka. A scholarship program where donors could get some forgiveness for real estate taxes. I loved his tributes to Van Morrison from bench in council chambers, making you know his youthful outlook was present.

I was a bit late grave site. When Susan said Topeka commentary on 10^th street 1 pm, my brain went to the one by McFarland farms. So many good people at the wake. Someone I have known for years extended a hand and said “let’s let the past be the past” upon agreeing and exchanging smiles I realized this is only for the living.

Clark totally enjoyed being an adjunct professor at Washburn. I can only image how he stimulated the young brains and making students think. In honor of Clark & Susan Duffy there is an endowment to create a “Chair” at Washburn to create a degree in government. Clark will live in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.

H

 

 ---------------

Clark R. Duffy, 73, of Topeka, KS, passed away on April 17, 2022. He was born December 22, 1948, in Abilene, KS, the son of Gaylord and Ruth Duffy. He was raised on the family farm near Chapman and attended Wesley, a one-room schoolhouse, where his mother was his teacher through 5th grade there were no easy A's.

Clark graduated from Dickinson County Community High School in 1967, where he was crowned Sports King. Clark's undergraduate work at McPherson College was interrupted by the Vietnam War when he and several of his buddies enlisted in the Marine Corps. Due to Clarks proficiency in typing and penchant for following orders, he served stateside with the Atlantic Fleet HQ, writing orders. After returning home, he resumed his studied at Kansas State University, earning a BS in political science. EMAW!

Clark chose to attend Colorado State University to complete an MA in Political Science. He was drawn to CSU because of their emphasis on environmental studies or, as we all suspect, he just wanted to hit the ski slopes.

After submitting 162 job applications, Clark was hired as an analyst by the Division of the Budget for the State of Kansas under Governors Bennett and Carlin. Clark continued his state service in the Kansas Water Office and the KDHE Bureau of Air and Radiation. He worked in the private sector for six years as Associate Director of the American Petroleum Institute (API).
Clark served eight years on the Topeka City Council representing district 6, including one term as Deputy Mayor. He served as President of the Kansas Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) and the Kansas Association of Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE). Clark was a recipient of the John K. Strickler Award for Excellence in Conservation and Environmental Education.

Clark enjoyed his retirement by teaching as an Adjunct Professor in the Political Science Department at Washburn University, serving as a consultant with FEMA on nuclear disaster preparedness, and raising grassfed beef, wheat and soybeans on the family farm.

Clark was preceded in death by his parents and is survived by his wife, Susan, and children, Erin (Lance), Brenna (Evy), and Colin, two grandchildren, Henry and Eleanor, and sister, Jody Davis (Don).
In his free time, Clark could be found tuning into Formula 1 at o'dark-thirty or sitting on the 45-yard line at the Bill Snyder Family Stadium. As a true Irishman, Clark celebrated his St. Patrick's Day wedding anniversary donning a kilt, whiskey in hand, and Van Morrison in the background. Clark enjoyed cards; canasta with the family and pitch with his boyhood friends. Clark loved: milk, crosswords, his red corvette, the north 40 gardens, westerns, three squares ALL with beef, creating lists and plans, coaching his children (they did NOT love this), frequent chats with the "helpful" employees at Microsoft, "Head Start" meetings with the kids, watching public TV with Susan and MSNBC.
Clark's recipe for life: be a lifelong learner, travel, be an ethical leader, have passion for what you do, and do what you know.

True to Clarks spirit, a celebration of his life will be on Earth Day, Friday, April 22, 2022, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Celtic Fox in Downtown Topeka.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Washburn University Foundation Political Science Department, 1729 SW MacVicar Ave, Topeka KS 66614, or the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education, 2610 Claflin Road, Manhattan KS 66502, or the High Country News, PO Box 1090, Paonia CO 81428. Condolences may be sent online to www.kevinbrennanfamily.com.

 

Published by Kevin Brennan Family Funeral Home on Apr. 19, 2022.

 

 

His last email to me ....

 

clark_duffy clark_duffy <clark_duffy@cox.net>	Mar 17, 2022, 9:49 AM
to me

Henry,

Good to hear from you. I hope you and Bianca are doing well. I think of you every time I see one of your signs.

How times have changed. I took St Patrick's Day serious as well. Now I am babysitting 4 and 2 year-old grandchildren for the day.

We are doing well and so are the kids and grand kids.  Four years ago they gave me 2 1/2 years due to the CMML but I am still doing fine. 

Clark

 

 

I need to find the author ....[facebook friend]

Today I had a day .. 

Sometimes life can be hard & stays hard for longer than you had anticipated, longer than you could have imagined. Yet somehow you are still supposed to make it through. You are still supposed to go through all of your usual motions with a smile on your face and a sparkle in your eye. You are supposed to show up and be yourself and not let anyone else know that you are having a heavy day. You think you need to hide the fact that it feels like the world is on your shoulders.

But the truth is, some days, you may not be able to show up in the way that you hope. Some days you may not be able to fake it, no matter how hard you try. Some days you may not be able to smile a genuine smile that reaches your eyes. Some days your laugh may be a little quieter, and a little less warm and familiar. Some days your eyes will look worn out and your cheeks will be less rosy. And some days you might not have anything to say to anyone because your soul is so quiet and your mind is so tired. And on these days, rather than pushing yourself to the breaking point, rather than trying to force the smile or fake the laugh, I want you to know that it’s okay to just be you. The you that is feeling down. The you that is tired. The you that feels unsure of yourself. The you that feels unfamiliar. I want you to know that it’s okay if you can’t show up fully. It’s okay if you have to cancel plans because you can’t muster up the energy to show up and have a good time. It’s okay if you’re just simply worn out, and having a day. It is totally OKAY.

You don’t have to feel guilty for having a hard day. You don’t have to feel ashamed of the fact that your mind hurts and your body is tired. You don’t have to hide the fact that sometimes life is hard, and sometimes being a human is painful. You owe it to yourself to feel your feelings and to give yourself permission to not be okay for a day. You owe it to yourself to be compassionate and caring, and to be respectful of your own feelings. You owe it to yourself to accept that this is who you are today and tomorrow well, that’s a whole new day.  

Some days are for looking inward and for coping. Some days are simply survival days. 

So please, be a little bit gentler with yourself. Forgive yourself more. Give yourself some grace. Practice self-compassion. And remember that you don’t have to put on a brave face all of the time. You don’t have to be any certain way for you to be loved. Just do what you can with where you are. And always remember … that my friend is enough, it’s more than enough. 

I will look for the Author of this 

until then enjoy this heartfelt post. 

 

H 

 

Thanks Brian Ramsey

 Brian Ramsey

I think that it’s Lawrence and Manhattan have grown so much and that the controllers of Topeka have kept such a grip on Topeka growth!!! People by pass Topeka for lack of things to see or do! Crappy nightlife… crappy venues for live music… really good restaurants are few and far between…. The downtown has been in renovations for decades… running off businesses… malls have failed and are eye sores to people traveling through or who live in Topeka… the city is stagnant! Few new businesses and those controlling city politicians decide what businesses come in to the city… airport is an eye sore…. I lived in Topeka for several yrs and worked for a company that monitored new business licenses… and in 4 yrs only 90 new businesses came to Topeka… in 4 yrs!!! Shameful. If it wasn’t for state politics this would be a cowtown sorry to say! The fact is people who want to listen to music… special events… concerts… etc go to KC… Wichita…Lawrence or Manhattan to have fun!

I must say one guy that is trying to change the culture is HENRY MC CLURE. Kudos for his efforts!!!

1 11 2021

Monday November 30th 2020 - 33 days until 2021

This day will be a new milestone of freedom.  

Remember: 

Mathew 7:6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. King James Bible

I've never been a bible beater, yet somedays you need to hit them with a verse to wake them up. 

One day I will thank Dylan Pagent for the wake-up call. I do not want to belong to his club, and he showed me why. 

from a friend: FOR ANYONE NOT SUPPORTING TRUMP

Do you dislike that he made cruelty to animals a FELONY? 

Do you dislike he gave billions to stop the opioid crisis? 

He destroyed ISIS, killed how many terrorists without going to war and oh wait, everyone said we’d be in World War III by now with North Korea? 

Do you dislike him because we are the Largest producer of oil?

Do you dislike him because he wanted to build a wall to keep criminals and drugs from coming in? 

Do you dislike him because he just slashed the price for medications and some cases 50%, which is driving big Pharma nuts?

Do you dislike that he signed a law ending the gag-order on pharmacists that prevented them from sharing money-saving options on prescriptions? 

Do you dislike that he signed the Save Our Seas Act which funds 10 million per year to clean tons of plastic and garbage from the ocean? 

Do you dislike that he signed a bill for airports to provide breast-feeding stations for nursing moms? 

Do you dislike that he signed the biggest wilderness protection and conservation bill in a decade designating 375,000 acres as protected land? 

Do you dislike that he loves America and puts Americans first? 

Do you dislike that he made a gay man the ambassador of Germany and then asked him to clean up national security and unclassified as much of it as possible for transparency? 

Do you dislike that he’s kept almost every campaign promise (with ZERO support from Congress who work against him daily!) plus 100 more promises because Washington was much more broken than he thought? 

Do you dislike like that he works for free, donating his salary to different charities? 

Do you dislike that he’s done more for the black community than every other President? 

Do you dislike that he listened to senator Scott and passed Invest In Opportunity Zones to help minorities? 

Do you dislike that he passed prison reform, which gives people a second chance and has made quite a huge difference for the black communities? 

Do you dislike that he passed VA reforms to benefit the very people who served our country and defend our freedom? 

Do you dislike that he’s winning and signing new trade deals that benefit Americans, instead of costing us more? 

Do you dislike that he loves his flag and his country? 

Do you dislike that he calls out and has shown all of us that they ARE Fake News, and they twist the truth to control and mislead the people and he is trying to protect us from this? 

Do you dislike that he’s ending wars? 

Do you dislike that he has made a commitment to end child-trafficking and crimes against humanity and has made 1000’s of arrests already? 

Do you dislike he’s brought home over 40 Americans held captive, the last one from Iran? Do you dislike that he’s proven he was right about the Deep State and he was spied on? 

Do you dislike that he was a Billionaire before he ran for President and now is worth at least 1/3 less... because he loves America THAT MUCH? 

Do you dislike that he’s making the world pay their fair share for the UN for protection? 

Do you dislike that he respects cops, veterans, ICE & First Responders? 

Do you dislike that he does not sell out America to other countries, like the leaders prior to him have done? 

 

Could it be possible that the ones who SELL OUT America to line their pockets OWN THE MEDIA AND HOLLYWOOD and hate him so much for trying to expose them and hate him for putting the PEOPLE first that they manipulate our thinking and control the information we get to steer US to hate him? These people benefit when you hate the man trying to stop them... so they won’t have to give up the wealth they have gotten and continue to get thru mass taxation and control. Wouldn’t you at least want to RESEARCH this possibility? Could 65,000 Americans already know the TRUTH... that he has done more for blacks in the last 20 years than our last 5 Presidents put together and is actually NOT a racist but you believe he is because it has been drilled into your head and yet you’ve never researched his accomplishments? You can start by watching those daily briefings he did during the lockdown (all on line) and then watching the coverage on the Main Stream Media and how they twisted it. Do you actually believe the President encouraged America to inject bleach? Did you research the effects of UV LIGHT which is used to disinfect SCHOOL BUSES and medical equipment and is also being used as a treatment for bacteria and respiratory infections by injecting it into humans (search Healight but don’t use Google... they are part of the Deep State and manipulate what we see! And they sell our info, which is why you see merchandise pop up the day after you searched for something! Use Duckduckgo)!!! They want you to believe he is stupid because if you figure out that he isn’t, they will lose billions of dollars and all their control. I know... it is hard to let go of what you believed to be true for most of your life. You are not alone. But your BLIND hatred of this man who is literally trying to save us from the far Left, radical Socialists is going to be detrimental to our country if you continue to support their hatred. They are teaching hatred and separation... even in families! You are not allowed to agree with “part” of their agenda and think for yourself; you must repeat their FULL belief system or name-calling and insults ensue... this is the definition of a cult! All or nothing! They despise LAW AND ORDER. 

 

Just look around you. He supports it, so we are safe and can live in a civilized society. He stands for unity and America first.

You will be amazed at how much more peace comes into your life when you turn off the FAKE NEWS and turn on the true America, where we focus on what unites us, not what divides us. The media hates him from day one. Impeachment was on the table before he was elected. They said Impeach the mother Fuc#^*r....but his rhetoric is bad? He’s never given a chance yet he’s done more in 4 years than any president with zero help from the media or democrats. Results don’t lie onto the radical left.

How dare he care so much about America. Love it or leave it.

Do your research... I have!

 

I Copied/pasted will you??

 

All of these are verifiable things Trump has done! And verifiable that the media twists his words!

 

Enough said . I don’t want to argue, I just want people to be informed and to make their own opinions not just what we are told mostly by main stream media. Do your own research, please.

Trump 2020!

Round 2 "Capitalist Party"

The Republicans and Democrats are as antiquated as the Tories and Whigs. Look how Lincoln changed the world as the 1st Republican President.

The Capitalist Party is a PRO business platform. We need to get back to the American way of trading with our neighbors 1st. We will take back the system from the bureaucrats. Division heads need to retool the existing rules and create an inviting environment for development.

We have people running us [ our government ] that have never made payroll. Until you have experienced the pressure of payroll out of your won pocket, you can't relate to the entrepreneur that pays taxes to make the government-run.

It is time we are madmen [ and madwomen ] and flush the system and take our country back. We are in a civil war that is chipping away at the capitalist way. You all need to see that so Capitalist can unite. We need a Capitalist party and unite against the evil that is afoot. It starts in Shawnee County.

Kansas played a big role in the last civil war, so be it.

How I Became a Madman (Prologue)
Kahlil Gibran - 1883-1931

You ask me how I became a madman. It happened thus: One day, long before many gods were born, I woke from a deep sleep and found all my masks were stolen,—the seven masks I have fashioned and worn in seven lives,—I ran maskless through the crowded streets shouting, “Thieves, thieves, the cursed thieves.”

Men and women laughed at me and some ran to their houses in fear of me.

And when I reached the market place, a youth standing on a house-top cried, “He is a madman.” I looked up to behold him; the sun kissed my own naked face for the first time. For the first time the sun kissed my own naked face and my soul was inflamed with love for the sun, and I wanted my masks no more. And as if in a trance I cried, “Blessed, blessed are the thieves who stole my masks.”

Thus I became a madman.

And I have found both freedom and safety in my madness; the freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in us.

But let me not be too proud of my safety. Even a Thief in a jail is safe from another thief.