Pat Clark March 17, 1931 - November 20, 2019
I questioned posting anything but finally concluded that since many of my social media friends loved my folks, I needed to share this news and reflection.
My mother, Mrs. Patricia Thomson Clark, age 88, peacefully passed away surrounded by family from complications due to Alzheimer’s on Wednesday, November 20th at her home in Columbia, Tennessee. She is survived by her husband John Ewing Clark, son Rick Clark, two daughters, Carol Clark, and Beth Clark Whitesell, grandchildren Sarah Clark Alonso and John Owen Clark Burchard and sister Dot Colbert of Dothan, Alabama. Mom also leaves behind the following extended family: Ina Bea Leuellyn, Mary Ball, Mike Whitesell, Juan Antonio Alonso, and Jon and Melinda Burchard and family.
Mom was born in Meridian, Mississippi on March 17, 1931. She was the daughter of the late Edward Lamar Thomson (an Illinois Central railroad man) and the late Jane O’Neal. She met my dad, John Clark, in Memphis in the spring of 1952 and they married on October 8th of that same year at Second Presbyterian Church. After a brief time living in Indianapolis, Indiana and Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania, they returned to Memphis in 1959. There they raised my sisters Carol and Beth and me. When we were older, Mom became a successful realtor.
Some of my mother’s many professional and civic accomplishments include being appointed Commissioner for the Tennessee Commission on the Status of Women; then serving as Vice-Chairman for the Research and Review Committee of the Tennessee Private Industry Council, President of the Memphis Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors, a member of the Board of Realtors Million Dollar Sales Club, Chairman of the Memphis Board of Realtors Political Action Committee, a member of the Women’s Executive Council and as the first woman to serve on the 6th Congressional District Military Action Selection Board. Mom was also the West Tennessee campaign manager for Lamar Alexander’s first gubernatorial run in the 1970s. Additionally, she was active as a United Way Team Captain, was involved with the PTA and was a Girl Scout Troop Leader.
In 1982, my folks moved from Memphis to Atlanta, where Mom found a new calling at The Westminster Schools working as the right hand to Elementary School Principal Judy Marine for twenty years. She was beloved by faculty, staff, the children and their families. Upon her retirement, the Westminster Elementary School celebrated her time there with a parade and many letters of appreciation. She and Dad were members of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. Mom was active in the church book club and the women’s morning Faces of Wisdom group, and was President of Pastor’s Aid at Trinity Presbyterian Church.
They moved to Wyndham Village in Columbia, Tennessee, in 2014 to be closer to us. Mom and Dad quickly grew to love their new community.
A survivor of polio at age 10, Mom experienced considerable physical hardship growing up, but she translated those challenges into a sense of gratitude toward life. To the very end, she wasn’t a glass half-empty person. She was a glass over-flowing with hope person. Mom had an uncommon ability to truly listen to those around her with genuine empathy. She was an adept and graceful problem-solver and highly valued by many for her ability to constructively finesse challenging situations.
Mom was a voracious reader and a passionate lover of music and the arts. She loved writing fiction and also wrote lyrics for commercials at Pepper-Tanner in Memphis. While in Memphis, she was a Patron of the Memphis Symphony, Theatre Memphis and the Germantown Theatre. It didn’t take much for her to enthusiastically share her feelings on everything from Broadway show tunes to great literature, and folk art. My childhood memories are ones of her playing me classical piano, choral music and Rogers and Hammerstein, Gershwin, as well as Sun Records 45’s of Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich and Elvis.
I remember our going to Pop Tunes in Memphis when it was in the peanut shop and her purchasing Richard Wagner’s opera Tannhäuser. She couldn’t wait to share this music and to this day “Pilgrim’s Chorus” is one of the most emotionally riveting choral pieces in my experience. I remember high school mornings when she was in the kitchen and “Proud Mary” and “Midnight Rambler” were playing or Bang Records era Neil Diamond. All of this music I deeply love. It is in my bones, thanks to her.
On the very last day before she slipped into a comatose state, she rallied around and spent much of the day animated and amazingly conversant as we played music from The King and I and South Pacific and various choral pieces. She lay there in bed conducting the music and singing along. She surprised me by suddenly singing the chorus of a song I wrote with my friend Mark Marchetti called “Hold On.”
“Hold On. Don’t you be sad. Tonight love with be there.”
Especially touching was her embracing the air as she tearfully smiled and sang along to her favorite song that reminded her of Dad, “Something Wonderful” from The King and I. This isn’t easy to write, but she was so special and so full of love.
Dad and Mom had celebrated 67 years of marriage together in October and, though she wasn’t sure what the celebration was about, there was no doubt how deep their love ran as evidenced in the tenderness they displayed to the very end.
Over the years, Mom touched many people from all walks of life with her infectious curiosity and childlike sense of wonder. With her kindness, warm heart and emotional intelligence, she strived to help make anyone she interacted with feel valued and respected. She carried the light and generously shared it. If you knew her, you would agree.
Each day is a gift and there is much to be thankful for, even when heartbreak is upon us. I’m very blessed to have had her in my life as a guide on the path of gratitude. Hopefully, reading this you will get a sense of how special she was.