1947-2019
Sarah Yuille Clarke, 72, died peacefully, just before sunset, at Piedmont Hospital Friday, August 30, 2019 after a hard fought battle with congestive heart failure. Her daughters, Katie and Mary Mac, and other family members were by her side, keeping her company until the end.
Sarah Elizabeth Yuille was born June 25, 1947 to Alexander Massie Yuille and Arlene Tweedy Yuille in Lynchburg, Virginia. Growing up as an only child in Charlottesville, Sarah forged close friendships everywhere she went. Sarah was beautiful in so many ways, but it was the energy and beauty within that captivated so many. She loved the social side of life, never met a stranger, loved gatherings of all types and sizes, and truly appreciated the importance of close friends and maintaining lasting relationships.
She graduated from St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville in 1964 and from Hollins College (now University) in 1969 where she was May Queen her senior year. She earned a BA in English, about which she would gently remind her girls as she corrected their grammar while they were growing up. After college, Sarah moved to Atlanta, went to work for Merrill Lynch, and met Walton Clarke on a blind date. And that was that. They were married six months later on November 28, 1970.
While raising their two daughters, Sarah was actively engaged in their school and athletic pursuits as well as dedicating herself to community and civic interests. Her most enduring legacy to the Atlanta community, was launching The Atlanta Alzheimer’s Auxiliary in the spring of 1998. Motivated by her mother’s Alzheimer’s and that of her friend Sarah Kennedy’s father, the two were determined “to do something” to bring awareness and help to fight this truly devastating disease. Their mission was to provide advocacy, emotional support and educational programs for patients, families and caregivers through an annual fundraiser for financial assistance and medical research. The group grew to 150 founding members and continued to increase over the years. The name was later changed to the Atlanta Alzheimer’s Society. Nine years ago, Mary Rose Taylor asked the two Sarahs and the rest of the Atlanta Alzheimer’s Society to join her in supporting the Emory Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center through the annual “A Family Affair” event. Sarah and her husband, Walton, chaired the event in 2014.
Sarah was also a member of the Mimosa Garden Club, serving as president from 1988-89; the Atlanta Debutante Club for which she chaired the Harvest Ball in 1993; and the Junior League of Atlanta. She was a dedicated volunteer at the Shepherd Center, receiving special recognition for her many years of service.
Sarah loved a routine: her long walks around Peachtree Battle when the family lived on Rivers Road; her devotion to a healthy meal; her cocktail, but never before 6 p.m.; her beloved Tuesday bridge games; and, at the Piedmont Driving Club, her regular exercise routine where she continued to make new friends of all ages while exercising on the elliptical or stationary bike.
Sarah relished family gatherings with Walton, her daughters and three grandsons, including regular Sunday lunches, but she especially treasured summer getaways to Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina. She and Walton also enjoyed many trips to various locations with his golfing buddies and their wives.
Sarah is survived by her devoted husband, William Walton Clarke; her daughters Katie Clarke Martin (Michael “Skip”), and Mary Mac Clarke Southerland (JJ) and three grandsons: Charley Martin, 15; Banks Southerland, 9 and Mac Southerland, 5—all of Atlanta. Her “sister-cousin” Gene Covington Aiken of Greenville, South Carolina; and cousins Katharine Hill Townsend of Richmond and William Rowland Hill, Jr. of Midlothian, Virginia also survive her, as does her step-mother, Norvell M. Thomson of Lynchburg.
There will be a memorial service at 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 5, 2019 at the Cathedral of Christ the King, 2699 Peachtree Road, NE, 30305. The family suggests donations to the Emory Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park Drive, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329.
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