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Carl James Stark,
the only child of Carl John and Berva Elaine Stark, was born on
October 29, 1932 in Spokane, WA, where he spent his first twelve
years. The family moved to Ashtabula, OH for a year before returning
to the northwest, settling in Coeur d’Alene, ID. He graduated as
salutatorian from Coeur d’Alene High School in 1950. During this
time Carl and his dad built a motel, which his family operated
alongside a restaurant. Working after school in the family business
left little time for outside school activities; however, he did
enjoy playing varsity football.
Carl entered West Point at age 17, receiving his
appointment from Henry C. Dworshak, the United States Senator from
Idaho. During his plebe year he played on C-1’s Brigade Championship
football team. Carl excelled in academics and willingly helped his
classmates understand the complex math and engineering concepts they
encountered. Everyone in C-1 liked and respected Carl. As a First
Classman, he acted modestly and was a good example for the
underclassmen in the company. He was firm with the plebes but always
fair and respectful. He graduated in 1954, ranked 70th in his class
of 633, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Corps of
Engineers. After a year of additional training at Fort Belvoir, VA;
Fort Benning, GA; and Fort Lewis, WA, Carl was assigned to the 535
Light Equipment Company in Mannheim, Germany. In six months he
assumed command of this company which supported a combat engineer
battalion.
In September of 1953, Jim Cooper, Carl’s former
roommate, invited him to his home in West Virginia, where he met
Jim’s sister, Carol. She graduated from West Virginia University in
1955, and shortly afterwards Carl and Carol were married. They began
their married life together in June 1955, in Mannheim. They spent
two years in Germany, where their elder son, Dick, was born at the
Heidelberg Hospital. In June 1957 Carl resigned his commission and
moved with his family to Spokane, WA.
In August 1957, Carl started work with the Max J.
Kuney Construction Company as an estimator and project manager.
After eight months in Spokane, he was sent to Portland, OR for two
years to manage building a portion of the Lloyd Center, the largest
project to date for the company. In April of 1960, Carl returned to
Spokane, where he was put in charge of local construction. In 1962,
he was promoted to manager of the Bridge and Building Department. In
1969 he became a vice president, holding this position for 28 years
until he had to step aside for health reasons, finally retiring in
1997. In 40 years, he helped transform the company into one of the
largest bridge contractors in the Pacific Northwest. Under his watch
the company constructed more than 70 buildings (40 major ones) and
more than 250 bridges.
At age 28, Carl had given his life to the Lord,
publicly affirmed his faith in the church and was baptized. His
faith continued to grow and make a difference in his life. Not only
did he serve in his church, but he began taking on more
responsibilities in his work. Since a large number of people were
dependent on the company’s success for their livelihood, he was
determined to work hard, not for personal gratification but to
provide work for all the employees and tradesmen. He was greatly
respected by those in the construction industry for his capable,
confident leadership qualities coupled with his honesty and
integrity.
Earlier in his marriage, Carl’s family had increased
with the arrival of three more children: Cynthia, born in Portland,
OR, and David and Nancy, born in Spokane, WA. Carl’s family was
always of utmost importance to him. In addition to being a strong
provider, Carl passed along many of his admirable characteristics to
his four children. These included a loving and generous spirit, a
strong work ethic, faith in God, the value of education and a desire
to make a difference in people’s lives. He and Carol also provided
many enjoyable opportunities for their family, including memorable
times at the family cabin, boating, waterskiing and golfing. Even
when Carl’s health curtailed many of his activities, he continued to
enjoy his children and their families. His love for family spoke
volumes, and it was a priority for both Carl and Carol to provide
opportunities for their children and grandchildren to spend time
together, either on family trips or at their summer cabin along the
Pend Oreille River in Idaho. His children appreciated his many
outstanding attributes, whether patiently teaching them how to water
ski and play golf (his passion) or helping them with math.
Carl was a master craftsman when it came to either
refinishing the lower level of their home or simply building desks,
nightstands and bookshelves for his children’s rooms. He had the
remarkable ability and ingenuity to fix or repair almost anything.
Carl’s final battle against Parkinson’s disease was
an inspiration to everyone around him. With the onset of Parkinson’s
in his early 50s and the challenge of human limitations, Carl
focused on the positive, carrying on with dignity and strength. He
continued to work until he retired at age 65 and golfed until he
could no longer hit a ball. For more than 30 years, he never
complained or apologized about his inability to do simple tasks but
made the best of the situation. Carl fought the good fight, he kept
the faith and he finished strong.
— His wife and children |
