Peace Activist Known for Crosses of Lafayette Has Died

Longtime peace activist Louise Clark, who owned the property on which the "Crosses of Lafayette" war memorial was built, passed away Sunday at age 86.

More than 4,000 crosses have been planted on the hillside adjacent to the Lafayette BART station since Clark and Jeff Heaton, a local building contractor, began the memorial in 2006 to recognize U.S. service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

According to Heaton, Clark and her husband, Johnson Clark, who passed away several years ago, were longtime activists and supporters of the in Walnut Creek.

The Clarks first became involved in the peace movement during the Vietnam War and began working with the Mt. Diablo Peace Center in its early years when they served as draft counselors alongside Arne Westerback, Andy Baltzo and Jeff Heaton's father Robert Heaton.

One of their many activities included an attempt to speak before the Lafayette City Council against the war. 

Louise Clark became a major force for peace in the East Bay since donating land adjacent to the freeway and Lafayette BART station for the purposes of displaying a war memorial for the victims of the Iraq War. The "" were first erected on the Clarks' property to commemorate the first 20 casualties of the Iraq War.

A memorial service will be held at the Clark residence, #6 Blackthorn, Lafayette, at 10 a.m. on Sunday.  Please RSVP HERE.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.