Obituary of Thomas Clark
Thomas (Tom) Leroy Clark passed away March 19, 2025 at the age of 75.
A native of Canby, Minnesota, Tom was born on May 26, 1949. He developed his strong work ethic working as a laborer and depot agent for the Chicago Northwestern Railway. He studied Speech Language Pathology at the University of Minnesota at Moorhead and later earned a Master’s of Public Administration from University of Illinois.
Tom worked as a Speech Language Therapist before moving to Chicago in 1974 where he was a political organizer and held various posts in Illinois state government. Tom moved to Colorado in 1982 serving as the director of economic development for the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce. After a brief stint in Florida, Tom returned to Colorado and served two years as vice president for economic development at the Denver Chamber of Commerce, then seven years as vice president and president of Greater Denver Corp. In 1994, Tom was hired as the president of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce then briefly returned to the Denver Chamber of Commerce before being hired as the president of the Jefferson Economic Council in 1998. In 2003, Tom was hired as the executive vice president of the Denver Chamber of Commerce and chief executive of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp, a role he held for 14 years and retired from in 2017.
Widely known as the “Godfather of Regionalism,” Tom was instrumental in shaping the collaborative economic development model that defines the Metro Denver region today. His leadership helped bring transformative milestones to Colorado, including helping to bring Major League baseball to Colorado, playing a key role in the development of Denver International Airport - including championing nonstop international flights that expanded Denver’s global reach, and serving as a key player in virtually every major business relocation and expansion along the Front Range. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Tom was known for his warmth, humor, and his views on collaboration.
Tom was a jokester, a musician, a collector of guitars, an epic storyteller and unashamedly profane in everyday conversations. He was a devoted husband, a supportive father, and an enthusiastic grandfather. He openly shared his experiences as a recovering alcoholic and was active in the Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon community as a mentor and sponsor to others affected by alcoholism.
Shortly after retiring in 2017, Tom was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), a progressive degenerative disease that limits a person’s personality, speech, social cues, organizational skills, and control over impulse. There is currently no cure for FTD and no treatments to slow or stop the progression of the disease.
Tom was proceeded in death by his father Delmer Randolph (D.R.) Clark (d. 1980) and his mother Kathleen Cecelia (Garvey) Clark (d. 2010). He is survived by his wife Donna Alengi, their children David Alengi II, Dana Alengi, Dina Alengi Storz, Christopher Clark and Sarah Villarreal, his four grandchildren Elijah, Clara, Ethan and Brigid and his brother Jerome Clark.
The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and Metro Denver EDC will gather with the business community to celebrate Tom Clark’s legacy on April 8 from 5-7 pm. Details will be available at denverchamber.org.
Additional plans to celebrate Tom’s life and contributions are being coordinated by his family.
In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to the Tom Clark Legacy Fund. For more information, visit https://rmpartnership.org/community-engagement/honoring-tom-clark/
