Norma Black Clark

Norma Black Clark of Houston, Texas, passed away peacefully on May 4, 2026, at the age of 94. She was born on July 7, 1931, in Houston to Edwin Joseph Black and Rose Marie Boettcher. Norma graduated from Jeff Davis High School in 1949 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics from the University of Houston in 1953. During her years at UH, she was deeply involved in campus life, participating in Beta Chi Sorority, the Newman Club, the can-can line at Frontier Fiesta and the Women's Student Association, where she served as president. Norma was a class officer and was honored with the Outstanding Student Award in 1953. She was also named Phi Kappa Theta sweetheart and University of St. Thomas Mardi Gras Princess. A gifted seamstress, Norma designed and sewed all her dresses for parties and sorority events, and she later created her own stunning wedding gown.

Norma met the love of her life, Don Clark, while both were decorating a float for the UH Homecoming parade. They were married on June 5, 1954, at St. Anne Catholic Church. Together they shared a lifelong love of boating and spent many happy years cruising the Intracoastal Waterway from Galveston to Corpus Christi aboard their Chris-Craft with the Houston Power Squadron. They were members of Lakewood Yacht Club and spent countless weekends fishing before the arrival of hunting season each year.

Norma and Don were proud Life Members of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Norma served for more than 20 years on the Ladies Go Texan committee. She was also a longtime member of the Charity Guild of Catholic Women, the Newman Circle, and was a Tea Room Patron of the Junior League of Houston. In 2004, Norma received the Legacy of Excellence Award from the St. Vincent de Paul PTO.

After their three children began attending St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School, Norma and Don became deeply involved in the life of the parish and the school community. In 1981, they were honored to be invested into the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Following Don's death from cancer in 1986, Norma devoted herself to her three children, who were then attending high school and college. As her family grew to include seven beloved grandchildren, Norma became a grandmother extraordinaire. No visit to her home was complete without Chick-fil-A, Pop Tarts, Blue Bell ice cream and HGTV. Norma continued to cherish time on the water and spent many relaxing weekends at her family's bayhouse on Galveston Bay. The party got bigger when her sister and lifelong best friend Rose Marie built a bayhouse on the lot next door. Together they planned and hosted countless family events, including the annual family reunions and Fourth of July celebrations.

Norma lived in her home in Braes Heights for fifty years. All three of her children purchased homes within a one-mile radius. Following Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Norma enjoyed many wonderful years at Holly Hall Retirement Community, cherishing new friends and enjoying new activities, followed by a brief period of time at The Buckingham.

Norma is survived by her children; Karen and her husband Grant Harpold, Joan and her husband Scott Ezell, and Thomas D. Clark, Jr., and his wife Marnie. She is also survived by her seven beloved grandchildren: Catherine, Hannah, and Lauren Harpold; Everett and Dalton Ezell; and Allison and Emily Clark. She is further survived by her sister, Rose Marie Thomson, and her three sons, Richard, Clark and Andrew and their families. Norma was preceded in death by her husband, Don Clark, her brother-in-law, Dr. Richard J. Thomson, and her nephew, Jet Thomson.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, May 28th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., with a rosary recited at 6:00 p.m., at Earthman Bellaire Funeral Home, 4525 Bissonnet, Bellaire, TX. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 29th, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 6800 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX. A reception with the family will be held immediately afterward, with Rite of Committal to follow at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers are Grant Harpold, Scott Ezell, Everett Ezell, Dalton Ezell, Clark Thomson, and Andrew Thomson. Serving as honorary pallbearers are Joey Thomson, David Thomson, Barron Bogatto, and Richard Bogatto.

The family wishes to express our deepest gratitude to caregivers Carol Latigue, Katrina Goins, and Crystal Latigue, whose kindness and compassionate care brought Norma comfort and peace during her final months.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations made be made to either St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 6800 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX 77025 or St. Thomas High School, 4500 Memorial Dr., Houston, TX 77007.