Clifford A. McFarland

Clifford A. McFarland Jr., 85, peacefully passed away on Friday, June 16, 2023, of natural causes. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 22, 2023 at McLaren’s Resthaven Chapel in West Des Moines. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Friday at McLaren’s with burial at Resthaven Cemetery

Clifford was born on May 8, 1938, to Martha and Clifford McFarland in Indianola, he was the oldest of three boys. He graduated from Indianola High School and studied at AIB in Des Moines. He moved to West Des Moines in 1960 where he managed an A&W, owned Mom’s Donut in Valley Junction and eventually became an employee with the US Postal Service.

Clifford married Patricia Clayton on November 1, 1969, a marriage that lasted his lifetime. He had 3 children, Kathy McFarland Stilwell (Anchorage, AK), Scott McFarland (Christina) (Des Moines), and Dana McFarland Lensing (Castle Rock, CO). He has seven grandchildren, Aaron Stilwell, Brandon Stilwell (Kiri), Breanna Bullock (Drew), Mitchell Lensing, Brett Lensing, Gunnar McFarland, Sawyer McFarland, seven great grandchildren and forever family member Tony Lensing.

Clifford was a member of the West Des Moines Fire Department from 1961-2011 (50 years). In those 50 years he held the positions of Firefighter, Captain, Battalion Chief and Chief of Training. He was the Battalion Chief of Station 2 on 5th street for many years and oversaw the design of Station 17 and the training facility attached to it. As Station 17 opened he was moved to the Training Chief of the department overseeing the new training facilities at Station 17.

Throughout his career he had a drive to improve the skills of firefighters in his department as well as firefighters across the state and nation. He was an Instructor for the Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau (ret. 2017), Instructor Area 11 community college, Instructor for PRI and the owner of Fire Training Consultants. He provided live fire training to firefighters all over the Midwest while burning houses, schools, old city blocks and hundreds of grain elevators. He also instructed a class at the National Fire Department Instructors Conference in Memphis, a class based on training performed within the West Des Moines Fire Department that he brought to a national level.

He has trained 1000’s of firefighters over the years to improve the fire service across the city, state and beyond. Cliff was a member of; The WDM Firefighters Association, Polk County Fireman’s Association, Iowa Fireman’s Association, Iowa Farm Safety Council, Iowa Society Fire Service Instructors (founding member/past president), International Society Fire Service Instructors, Fire Department Safety Officers Association, and the Iowa Propane Council.

In his career he was awarded: Key to the City of West Des Moines (2011), WDM Firefighter of the Year (1972 and 1996), WDM Employee of the year (1989), Kimberly Sue Stratton Memorial Award Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau (2004), State Fire Marshall Award for Service, F.W. Bill Nelson Instructor of the year Iowa Society of Fire Service Instructors (1993 and 2017), Awarded Lifetime Membership International Society of Fire Service Instructors (2017), among many smaller awards.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.