Marie Clark Obituary

Marie H. Clark - November 9, 1935 – June 26, 2025 Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." Marie lived her life this way, through her family and friends, career, and travels. She was born the fourth of nine children to Paul and Louise Honold on November 9, 1935. Her childhood was spent in Chrisman, Illinois where she enjoyed all that a small town and big family had to offer. From playing circus with her siblings (Wilma, Lydia, Pauline, Sue, Bill, Bob, Jim, and Tom) to working at the Shady Rest, she loved her family and the town she grew up in. At this time, she also showed early signs of being a natural born educator as she would routinely have her brothers sit down in a "classroom" that her dad made and teach them "lessons" (whether they learned any of them remains a lingering question to this day). After graduating from Chrisman High School as salutatorian in 1953, she ventured out to attend college at Illinois State University. In her time there she majored in education with a focus on special education and was a member of the campus Orchesis modern dance troupe. According to her sister, Wilma, one of the highlights of her college dancing days was when she and her partner, "cleared the floor" while Louis Armstrong and his band played live at the university. She still has the autographed program from this night. Her travel also took her west during this time where she spent summers working at the Flagg Ranch in Wyoming. We venture to guess that she danced the two-step a time or two while she was there She also danced across the stage at her graduation from ISU in 1957, with honors, and began her forty plus year teaching career in Kankakee, Illinois. She is credited with starting a special education program for physically and mentally handicapped students. She became a great advocate for her students, which resulted in a continuation of the program to this day. During her time in Kankakee, she took what was probably her most serendipitous trip to Key West to visit her sister Lydia. While there she met a dashing young Naval officer (and gentleman), Bob Clark. The story has it that he asked her if she'd like to "paint the town red". After hearing from the other sailors that, "Mister Clark was a good guy", she accepted and later that evening they traveled to Marathon Key to Guy Lombardo's restaurant where – you guessed it – they danced! The rest is history, as they were eventually married on November 21, 1959, and in true midcentury fashion, spent a memorable honeymoon on Miami Beach dancing as "Old Blue Eyes" himself, Frank Sinatra, crooned the night away. After Bob was discharged from the Navy, they moved to Owensboro, Kentucky. While living there they enjoyed time with their family and started their own with the birth of their daughter Mary Ann and son Bobby. Eventually they moved to Tampa, Florida for one year before moving to Terre Haute, Indiana in 1970. These were the "golden years" for her and her family. She secured a teaching position at Lost Creek Elementary where she taught for thirteen years. During this time Marie earned her Master of Education degree from Indiana State University (1974). Probably more important to her, though, was that she was able to spend time with her extended family as nearly all her brothers and sisters and their families lived nearby. She also loved to socialize with friends and entertain. From bridge parties to attending the Beaux Arts Ball, she was always ready for a good time, and if you ever went to one of her Christmas Open House parties you experienced something special. She also loved being involved with her kids and spent her time supporting them in all their activities. Her travels took her on family vacations all over the Midwest, Florida, New England and an unforgettable road trip to California, via the Grand Canyon (with a quick trip to Tijuana). Some may have questioned her sanity, but not her bravery or thirst for adventure as she drove, in a wood-paneled station wagon, across the country, with Bob, Mary Ann, Bobby, Pamps, Grammy, and Paula Sue.some think that the original "Family Vacation" movie was modeled after this trip In 1984 Bob and Marie moved to Ft. Myers, Florida where they spent twenty-five years enjoying life. Marie continued her teaching career here and once again showing her pioneering spirit, started the first program for gifted students in Lee County, Florida. She retired in 2001 after over forty years of dedicated service and educating over a thousand students during that time. She was also blessed with a granddaughter, Kyra, and spent many great times with her as she enjoyed being a grandmother. Her adventurous spirit once again took her all over the country and out of it. According to Mary Ann, "she went lots of places Austria, England, Switzerland, Italy, France national parks – Yosemite, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Zion, Yellowstone many others and saw lots in Boston and New York..". Later she took a second, unforgettable trip to France with Mary Ann, Bob, her sister Sue, and brother– in–law Bob. She loved the Parisian pastries, visiting the Limoge China shops, the Loire Valley chateaux and unexpected French country dinners. Most of all she enjoyed spending the time with family. November 21, 2009, Bob and Marie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a Washington, D.C. weekend spent at museums, taking a canoe trip down the Shenandoah River and culminating by "painting the town red" on their celebratory cruise down the Potomac with family in attendance. It was beautiful night of celebration. In 2010, Marie and Bob moved to Virginia. There they spent the next several years living on a shared property with Mary Ann, their son-in-law Tom, and a menagerie of horses, greyhounds, and chickens. After Bobby married Alicia in 2010, Marie was blessed with two more grandchildren, Owen and Wyatt in 2011 as well. During this time, she enjoyed living on White Horse Hill. Her many activities included gardening, participating in bridge club and P.E.O., attending Warrenton Presbyterian Church, steeplechase tailgate parties, an occasional Monday night yoga class and maybe cleaning out a horse stall or two. In 2019 she and Bob celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Eventually, in 2023, Marie and Bob moved back to Terre Haute to be near remaining family. She spent her last days here, surely reflecting on the extraordinary life that she lived and on the love that she shared with her family. Danny Kaye once said, "Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can." Marie certainly did her share of throwing paint, leaving us all with a great work of art that was her life. As her favorite song goes," Unforgettable, that's what you are". She will be greatly missed, rest in peace. A memorial service will be held on Marie's 90th birthday, November 9, 2025, at Possum Trot Farm, Chrisman Illinois. In lieu of flowers, please consider continuing Marie's legacy of education through donations to the Marie Honnold Clark Scholarship Fund through the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) Foundation. This obituary will be updated as more details are known. Please check back. 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