Geraldine McCarthy Clark passed away peacefully on March 19, 2022. She was born on December 10, 1926, the youngest child of Wilson and Minerva McCarthy. She married Vivian Parley White, Jr. on July 7, 1947. They later divorced. She married Ezra T. Clark on December 3, 1969, who preceded her in death.
Geri is survived by her son, Parley White III, and six stepchildren: Ezra T. Clark (Virginia), Anne Pingree, James E. Clark (Linda), Janet Wright, Ilene Rhodes (Gary), and Mark H. Clark (Dru). She is survived by two grandchildren, James Bird and Briden Bird, thirty step-grandchildren, and thirteen great-grandchildren. A daughter, Courtney Bird, preceded her in death.
Geri graduated from the University of Utah, where she also earned a Master of Education degree. She completed a Ph.D. in psychology at BYU. She was active in helping individuals with disabilities and was instrumental in passing Utah House Bill 105. The bill, written by Robert Anderson, made it mandatory for all children, regardless of their disabling conditions, to be educated by public schools. She helped found the Columbus Community Center and, with the help of Terrell Dougan, wrote a grant to develop a non-profit agency, Project Turn, to serve adults with disabilities in the community. She is a past president of the Utah Conference on Social Welfare, a past director of the Office of Child Development, and a past specialist on the Utah Board of Education. Geri served on President Gerald Ford’s Committee on Mental Retardation. She and Fran Peek wrote a grant to develop the Legal Center for the Handicapped, appointing Stephen Swindle to be its first director. Geri was also a past member of the Women’s Legislative Council and served on many other boards.
A celebration of life will be held on April 9, 2022 at 2:00 PM at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary. Consistent with her life’s purpose, Geri has bequeathed her body to the University of Utah Body Donor Program. The family is grateful to her dear friend, Mike Davies, who coordinated all her care. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributing to the Courtney McCarthy Bird Suicide Awareness Scholarship Endowment at Weber State University (give.weber.edu/Courtney) or the University of Utah Orthopaedic Center (attention Art Swindle), located at 590 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108.
