© Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
49ers icon Dwight Clark, 61, died Monday after a long battle with ALS.
His wife, Kelly, announced the news on Clark’s Twitter account.
I’m heartbroken to tell you that today I lost my best friend and husband. He passed peacefully surrounded by many of the people he loved most. I am thankful for all of Dwight’s friends, teammates and 49ers fans who have sent their love during his battle with ALS. Kelly Clark.
— Dwight Clark (@DwightC87) June 4, 2018
Clark publicly announced he had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as ‘Lou Gehrig’s Disease,’ in March of 2017. His battle with the debilitating illness has been chronicled ever since, particularly recently, when 27 of Clark’s former coaches, teammates, and friends visited him at his ranch in White Fish, Montana on the weekend of Apr. 22.
Former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo organized the gathering. Former 49ers president Carmen Policy was in attendance, and he recounted the experience with Murph & Mac in late April.
“His spirit when he’s surrounded by his guys, it’s enlightening,” Policy said of Clark. “It’s kind of inspiring when you see the debilitation that he’s suffering physically, and then those eyes start sparkling, and then that smile comes on, and his speech is strained, but he’ll use those phrases that you know so well, that are so Dwight Clark.”
The 49ers legend is best known for ‘The Catch’ in January of 1982, which jumpstarted a run of Super Bowls for the 49ers. Clark played all nine career seasons with the 49ers, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion. He also served as general manager for the 49ers and Cleveland Browns.
Clark, whose loyalty to the 49ers endeared him to fans everywhere, will always be one of the club’s beloved figures. His No. 87 is retired.