Clark Dumont Neher passed away at the Oak Crest DeKalb Area Retirement Center on January 3, 2025. Clark was a beloved professor at Northern Illinois University; a global citizen with strong links to Southeast Asia; an active member of the NIU and DeKalb communities; and a lover of the arts who had a profound impact on the lives of his family, friends, students, colleagues, and acquaintances.

Clark was born and raised in Los Angeles, the son of Gerwin and Clarita Neher. His mother Clarita was an Olympic diver in 1924 and 1928. Clark attended Los Angeles High School, graduating in 1956, and then attended Stanford University where he earned BA and MA degrees in Political Science. In Palo Alto, he met and courted Arlene Becker, who became his bridge partner, travel companion, co-parent, and soulmate through 62 years of marriage. Arlene passed away in December of 2023.

Gerwin and Clarita instilled the travel bug in Clark from an early age. After college, eager for adventure, Clark spent a summer as a spy in Eastern Europe and Russia, sharing information to the US government about infrastructure and daily life in those regions. He then joined the Army in 1962 and was trained as a Russian language POW interrogator.

Following Clark’s stint in the army, he and Arlene joined one of the first cohorts of the Peace Corps; a decision he often said was one of the most important of his life. The young couple were stationed in Bangkok, Thailand for two years where they worked as teachers. Clark’s experience in Thailand convinced him that Southeast Asia should be a major part of his life. They returned to Los Angeles where he received a Ph.D. in Political Science at UCLA with an emphasis on Southeast Asia.

When Clark joined Northern Illinois University’s Department of Political Science in 1969, he and Arlene made DeKalb home. Over 31 years at NIU, he taught undergraduate and graduate students, authored eight books and numerous articles, and founded programs such as the Southeast Asia Summer Studies Institute (SEASSI). Through two Fulbright US Scholars Program grants, Clark and his family returned to live in Thailand on multiple occasions, mostly in Chiang Mai, which he considered his second home.

He chaired the Political Science Department for nine years and served as Director of NIU’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies. He received the Presidential Teaching Professorship for outstanding teaching, the Liberal Arts and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award, and the Geigle Service Award for contributions to NIU. Over the decades, he advised and mentored countless students and colleagues, including many foreign students, often inviting them into the Neher home for Thanksgiving and other celebrations.

Clark was active in the DeKalb and NIU communities. He was a hospice volunteer for 20 years; a kindness repaid in his own final days through care and companionship from wonderful hospice staff and volunteers. As a Kiwanian he enjoyed working with DeKalb High School Key Club members. He served as president of the DeKalb Public Library Board of Trustees, a term which included a major expansion and renovation of the library. For 50 years he was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb, and served in numerous leadership positions. He felt at home with Unitarians, sharing their progressive values. He sought to embrace all persons and was especially committed to full rights for women and the LGBTQ+ community. After retiring in 2000, he joined the Lifelong Learning Institute, and taught courses on international relations, Southeast Asia, and opera, the latter a life-long passion. He and Arlene’s later years were spent at Oak Crest where they maintained and built many friendships and received great care when they needed it most.

Clark loved music and the arts. He performed in over 20 plays and directed nine others for Stage Coach Players in DeKalb. He played the piano beautifully, taking lessons and practicing most of his adult life. He and Arlene had season tickets to the Chicago Lyric Opera and also took many trips to New York, London, and Vienna to take in theater, music, and opera. They ultimately visited over 100 countries across every continent. They knew every interesting corner of Southeast Asia and frequently served as resident experts for tour groups, opening up the beauty and history of that part of the world for hundreds of travelers. Always physically fit, he ran marathons well into his 40s.

Clark had friends of all shapes, sizes, ages, and interests. He was an enthusiastic participant in birthday groups, ‘gourmet groups,’ nights out in Chicago, and neighborhood bbqs over many decades. He could be, alternately, hilarious, blunt, overly personal, erudite, and fascinating. But his greatest gift was empathy. He always listened, never judged, and never failed to help people in need – including friends, students, and family.

Clark leaves behind his three children Erick (Edward Yim), Greg (Melissa), and Carol, five grandchildren (Callum, Bazzy, and Rowan Neher, and Sienna and Becker Sheehy), his sister Nancy Carlson, and nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb, at 158 N. Fourth Street, on Saturday, February 22, at 11:00am.

In lieu of flowers, Clark’s family invites you to make a donation in his honor to an education or community organization; many great options are mentioned above.

For information, visit www.AndersonFuneralHomeLtd.com or call 815-756-1022.