Mary Ornberg
Alan Stark? You may know him from the pickleball or volleyball courts. Or perhaps you’ve seen him on stage as the Bowlegged Cowboy in Rollin’ In Dough In Mistletoe, Thief Number Two in Cruise Queens, or the passionate Bobby Dwayne in Honolulu of a Honeymoon.
A member of the Drama Club since moving to Robson Ranch, Alan has entertained audiences with his memorable performances and larger-than-life characters. But who is the person behind those roles? We sat down with Alan to learn more about the man behind the characters and the experiences that have shaped his journey on and off the stage.
1. When did you move to Robson?
Ginger and I moved to Robson in May 2021 after spending our entire lives in California, where we were both born and raised.
2. What brought you to Robson?
Our daughter moved to Texas in 2020 after becoming widowed. At a family meeting, we all agreed that Texas would eventually become home. We moved in 2021, and our son plans to relocate in the next few years.
3. Where did you live before?
We moved from Salinas, Calif., known as the “Lettuce Capital of the World.” If you check the back of many bags of lettuce at the grocery store, you’ll often see “Salinas, Calif.“
4. What did you do for a living?
I was a CPA for 42 years and served as the tax partner in a large CPA firm in Salinas. I enjoyed tax work so much that I started a small tax practice here in Texas and still look forward to tax season each year.
5. What are your hobbies?
Most of my time is spent enjoying life at the Ranch, especially with the drama club, pickleball, and volleyball. Ginger and I are also working on becoming more involved at our church in Keller.
6. Tell us something we don’t know about you.
Once a month I volunteer as a DFW Airport Ambassador, helping travelers with directions and questions. It’s a rewarding way to ease a little stress for people who are often having a difficult travel day.
7. What is your greatest accomplishment?
Raising two adult children who love Jesus and are active in their churches. Seeing their faith remains strong is something I’m deeply grateful for.
8. Tell us something interesting you’ve done.
For 20 years I served as treasurer for a nonprofit that hosted two large Christian music festivals each year in California. I managed the on-site banking operations for events that drew nearly 20,000 attendees and required about 1,000 volunteers.
9. Anything else you’d like to share?
I didn’t originally plan to become a CPA. I was a carpenter until a serious table saw accident ended that career. After several surgeries and years of recovery, I went back to college, earned an accounting degree and an MBA in Tax, and began a career that lasted 42 years.