In the Toledo Blade (Ohio) on Tuesday (7/15), Mark Reiter reports that Sandra Clark, former principal horn in the Toledo Symphony, died of brain cancer at her West Toledo home on July 5 at 54. A member of the orchestra since 1990, she “retired after her last performance with the orchestra in May, and went into the hospital three days later.” Ms. Clark, who was transgender, was born Stewart D. Clark on Oct. 30, 1959. She grew up in San Jose, and graduated from San Jose State University with a bachelor’s degree in music performance in 1982. While pursuing further studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, “she met Kathy Widlar, also a French horn player. They married Oct. 30, 1988. It was after their divorce in 2001 that Ms. Clark made the decision to transition to a woman and underwent surgical procedures, her daughter [Monica Clark] said.” In addition to performing with the Toledo Symphony, Clark “organized the symphony’s out-of-town concerts, managed ticket sales, and handled advertising for programs.” Her book Running to Normal, about her experience as a transgendered person, was published in 2004. Clark’s survivors include daughters Monica and Maria Clark, and a sister, Gina Lounds.
Posted July 16, 2014
