Watch CBS News

Owner Of Lafayette War Memorial Site Dies

LAFAYETTE (CBS SF) -- 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, Heaton said.

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

Louise Clark died at her son's house in Santa Rosa surrounded by family and friends, Heaton said. She had been fighting cancer for more than a year.

A memorial service will be held for her this weekend.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.