June 26, 1941 — Aug. 13, 2025

Stephanie Clark, beloved mother, grandmother, innkeeper, animal lover and an unofficial “Christmas Queen” of Ashland, passed away Aug. 13, surrounded by family.

Born June 26, 1941, in Pensacola, Florida, Stephanie first arrived in Ashland on a magical night of the Festival of Light parade in 1995, just as snow began to fall. Within a few short years, she was helping her daughter Cynthia organize the parade, as well as countless other community celebrations.

As an innkeeper, she ran many of Ashland’s beloved inns, including Royal Carter House, the Chanticleer and the McCall House. She was a dedicated volunteer with at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Oregon Cabaret Theatre, and an enthusiastic member of the Ashland Family YMCA, bringing the same sparkle to Zumba, Step and Women With Weights classes that she brought to every holiday party.

Stephanie was the loving mother of five children, with five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, three wonderful sisters, one brother and a menagerie of beloved cats and dogs. She left Ashland in 2010 to help raise three of her grandkids in Portland, returning in 2021 to the town she loves best.

Her greatest joy was making people feel happy, included and unconditionally loved. She leaves behind a legacy of kindness and community, and a reminder to celebrate, to care and to see the best in everyone.

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