Marie Susanne Clark

Marie Susanne Sartain Clark was born Aug. 19, 1930 in Atlanta, but grew up in the paradise of the Panama Canal Zone. Her childhood was far from perfect but she navigated through it with quiet determination and her imagination. She returned to the states on a ship to attend college at Ward-Belmont for Girls, and for the first time in her life she felt alive. Her favorite memory from college was her first snowfall in her freshman year. She had never before seen anything more refreshing and magical.

Being the only child in a divorce she grew up dreaming of what it would be like to be part of a large family with loud Christmas dinners and sisters to give you advice. She married a young Navy man from Vanderbilt College named Hub, and she inherited all of his seven brothers and sisters. For her, it was a dream come true.

As with any marriage, obstacles had to be overcome. The first one being learning how to cook. But like every challenge she had faced her determination won out and she learned. Her marriage to Hub was not the kind that Hollywood had promised on the silver screen, but the inner strength she found early on in life ensured that there would always be love and happiness for over 50 years.

When her two boys, Bill and Mike were born she felt complete, and as they grew she instilled in them both the importance of family.

Her greatest delight in life was watching her boys grow up. Whether it was playing putt-putt golf inside the house or cut-throat ping-pong in the basement, she was always there laughing and loving every minute. She often remarked on how she cherished them at every age and, as they grew older and began to retell stories from their youth, she felt so proud of them both.

Bill, the oldest, shared her quick wit and what would start out as quiet conversation would often resolve into gales of laughter about a joke that only they seemed to understand. They could sneak a look at each other and know instantly what the other was thinking. She saw him as a natural leader and a man driven to make his mark on the world.

Mike, the youngest, was her little rebel and would stand against her with a hands-on-his hips defiance that only a four-year-old boy could master. Her favorite memory is of the time she spanked him up the stairs one-step-at-a-time. She smiles at this memory, simply due to the fact it bears so little resemblance to the man he is now. It is with Mike that she shares her heart. His gentleness and loving nature have always made her feel safe and loved.

Both her sons grew up, graduated college and married women that she loved as if they were her own daughters. She would often say that the line a mother-in-law had to walk was trickery, but she always wanted the best for her boys and she believed they each had certainly found it. Bill and Sandra were inseparable and she always appreciated the way Sandra was so devoted and patient with Bill as he continued to discover his place in the world. Sharon brought to Mike something that he had been missing for a long time. Her sense of adventure and spontaneity was exactly what Mike needed.

Sue was never scared to try anything new. When Hub took up golf, so did she and she turned out to be pretty good. She presided over clubs such as the Kingswood Garden Club and the Theater of Charlotte Auxiliary and she served in many others. Her self-confidence grew and she took up watercolors, was even once cast in a commercial for television, and volunteered at Mercy Hospital. Her love for flowers always made sure that Hub’s perfect grass was framed in beautiful colors. Generations of hummingbirds knew how to find their way to her house and would come back every year to show off, and she delighted in their antics.

Throughout her life she always looked for the humor in everything. She believed if you didn't have a good sense of humor then you were surely missing out on something important. Her stories and jokes would never fail to be delivered with perfect timing, and her smiling laugh was always just beneath the surface. Her sense of humor was one of the few things that stayed strong and healthy throughout her entire life. Even when her body wanted to quit, she found a way to notice the humor of it. As her world got smaller, her smile got bigger. No matter what happened she still found a way to see the humor of the situation and her smile never wavered.

She was always ready to make a friend. When she arrived at Plantation Estates it was no different. When she realized she was a writer like her mother, she began writing for the monthly journal and felt as if she had truly found her voice. Her greatest joy was knowing that in this way she would still be able to speak to you long after today has finished.

She would never forget a name or a face, and it did not matter if they swept the floors or owned half of Charlotte. When she saw them later in the hall they would each be greeted equally warmly. She loved being with people. In fact, between the bingo nights, wow club group, concerts, movies nights, dinner group, summer school, homemade banana splits with friends, and a standing date for a bit of scotch on Sunday you could hardly keep up with her. But no matter how busy she seemed, she was always ready with a shoulder for anyone in need. She said that even though they both had been replaced they were still good for hiding a conspiratorial snicker or sharing life's great burdens. Sue could keep a secret better than any priest and couldn't tell a lie even if she wanted to.

Of all the things to miss about being young she missed dancing the most. She often talked of Mack, her stepfather, sweeping her on to the floor in the officer’s club and feeling so free in those moments. Of singing the song with her feet as she flew across the floor in swirling skirts, with a never-ending smile, a twinkle in her eye, and a flush to her cheeks.

She made it quite clear, however, that she did not have any regrets making it this far in life. She was proud of everything she had learned and accomplished along the way.

She wanted so much to feel like she contributed to this world. To give back to all the wonderful people who helped her along the way. A card slipped under the door, a cookie simply wrapped in a napkin, a flower, a phone call, a wave across the courtyard or even just a smile passing in the hallway. These are the moments she cherished most in both the giving and receiving.

She wanted me to thank all of you here today and to tell you that it was such a gift to be part of your lives. She was thankful that she could share this journey with so many loving and wonderful people and hopes that in the time you travelled together, she touched your life as beautifully as you touched hers.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Salvation Army, 501 Archdale Drive, Charlotte, NC 28217 or https://www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/