Martha "Marty" Elizabeth Allen Clark

Art is long, life is short.

But even a long life ends too soon. Martha Elizabeth Allen Clark—"Marty" to her many dear ones—passed away peacefully in April 2018 at age 92. The resident of South Austin leaves artwork, family, and friends as her legacy. She is missed mightily.

The retired art teacher, who taught at Austin's Crockett High School and Porter Junior High, served her faith community at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Austin for some 30 years. The memorial service will be at 3 p.m. on April 11, 2018, at St. Mark's.

Her creativity, her intelligence, and her kindness touched everyone. The plainspoken Sabinal, Texas, native grew up during the Great Depression. She finished high school at the top of her class at age 16. Like many women, she worked during World War II. She met and married the love of her life, James Val Clark, while attending Southwest Texas State Teachers College in the late 1940s. She finished her degree (art education, with minors in library science and English) in 1958, after taking time to raise their daughter.

Jim and Marty moved to Austin for good in the early 1970s, after a young adulthood and early professional life spent on the Texas Gulf Coast. She and Jim worked in Brazosport Independent School District and Industrial Consolidated Independent School District.

Marty is survived by her husband, Jim and their daughter, Val Clark Beard of Alpine, Texas (a rancher and retired judge); granddaughter and namesake, Martha Beard-Duncan, who is an attorney in Austin; and one great-grandson, Theodore Duncan of Austin; plus her nieces, Tammy Dibble of McClean, Virginia; and Pamela Schell of Boerne, Texas; and their families. In addition, sister-in-law, Carolyn Allen of San Antonio, who was married to Marty's late brother, Edward Corwin Allen of San Antonio.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Mark's Episcopal Church.