PETERSON-CLARK ALICIA PETERSON CLARK "Lee" (Age 46) Of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away peacefully on April 12, 2017, following a long illness. She was deeply loved by her family and friends, and respected by the officials and colleagues with whom she worked throughout her successful career in public service in the White House, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, and the private sector, with APCO Worldwide. Her husband, William S. Clark, and their children, William Jacob (Jake), age 9, and Brady Peterson, age 6, were her greatest joy and adored her in return. The daughter of Carl Eric and Patricia Ellen (Noonan) Peterson, Alicia was born on April 2, 1971, in Rockville, Connecticut and raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She graduated from Oak Grove High School in 1989, where she was active in student body government. In 1993, she graduated from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, where she was a starter on the women's varsity soccer team and a member of Kappa Delta sorority. After graduating with a degree in political science, Alicia joined AmeriCorps VISTA, a national service program focused on alleviating poverty, working in its literacy program in North Carolina. She went on to work on the successful 1994 U.S. House campaign of now-U.S. Senator Richard Burr. Upon then-Rep. Burr's election to the House, Alicia served as his Press Secretary and later as Chief of Staff in his House and Senate offices. She was tapped to work for former President George W. Bush during his 2000 Presidential campaign. Later, she worked in the Bush Administration in several capacities, including the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Office of the Vice President. Following her tenure on Capitol Hill and in the White House, Alicia joined global public affairs agency APCO Worldwide and most recently served as Executive Director and Deputy Managing Director of the firm's Washington, DC office. A devoted, loving wife and an amazing mother, Alicia brought joy, spirituality, a sense of humor and a reliable steady hand to everyone in her life. Her greatest delight was spending time with her family and making sure they were happy and loved. She was also a wonderfully caring sister and daughter, and a treasured friend who greatly enjoyed spending time with those she loved. And she made people's lives richer for it. She was an enthusiastic soccer mom and so proud of Jake and Brady's love of the sport and of their accomplishments. At work, she was greatly admired and valued as an incredible role model, mentor, colleague, and friend, who handled any situation with grace and humor. Alicia always conducted business with poise, integrity and a great depth of commitment. In her spare time, Alicia enjoyed gardening, cooking, reading, decorating, crafts, and vacations to the scenic beaches of Maine and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She also enjoyed being part of the school communities of Alexandria Country Day School and St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School. In addition to her husband, children and parents, Alicia is survived by her sister, Kristina Peterson (Michael) Lohman of Elmhurst, Illinois, a niece, Maren Lohman, age 4; her father-in-law, William S. Clark, Sr. of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine; her sister-in-law, Lisa (Timothy) Bureau of Fairfax Station, Virginia; and nephews, Nicholas Bureau, 28 of Grovetown, Georgia, and Alexander Bureau, 24 of Muncie, Indiana. Visiting hours will be held at Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home, 1500 West Braddock Road, Alexandria, Virginia on April 19 at 2 to 4 p.m. and at 6 to 8 p.m. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 1427 West Braddock Road, Alexandria, Virginia on April 20 at 10 a.m. A private burial at Ivy Hill Cemetery will immediately follow the Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Capital Caring Hospice, 5845 Richmond Highway, Suite 150, Alexandria, VA 22303, or The Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers at Ruesch Center, c/o GUMC Development, 3300 Whitehaven Street, NW, Suite 4000, Washington, DC 20007. This Center focuses on research into gastrointestinal cancers and provides valuable support to young adults and their families who face these conditions.