Mary was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 31, 1931, to Helen Morgan and Vernon Clarke (Vernon studied to be a priest but due to a viral outbreak it was mandatory to leave the seminary. He did not return when he fell in love with Helen).
Mary fell in love with Jerome Welp, aka Romeo, and married after Jerome was discharged from the Army. They had four children: Robert (Kathleen), Linda (Pat), Barbara (Jimmy) and Virginia; ten grandchildren: Shauna (Joe), Erin (Brad), Corey, PJ, Kaci (Ricardo), Michael, Jesse, Connor, Alexa (Andrew), and Gabriele Grace; ten great grandchildren: Brianna, Jack, Olivia, Emily, Emma, Mahayla, Maya, River, Luca, and Lucienna on the way. Mary is preceded in death by her brother Peter Clarke (Marion) and her parents Helen and Vernon.
Mary worked as a bank manager on Long Island, N.Y. until moving to Naples, Florida, where she worked in retail until retirement at age 86. Mary moved to Connecticut at the age of 92 to be closer to family and friends.
Mary lived a full life of love and laughter with her many children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friends, nieces, nephews, and pets. Mary was a dog lover.
Mary was a practicing Catholic and participated in charitable work fulfilling her core values that everyone is created equal by God, love your fellow man, help people in need, and forgive. People enjoyed Mary’s company. Everyone loved Mary.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30am on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at Saint Edward the Confessor Church, New Fairfield. A Catholic burial will follow at Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury, Long Island.
The family will receive friends at the Green Funeral Home, 57 Main St., Danbury, CT on Thursday morning from 9:00am until to 10:00am.
The family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to her excellent medical care by Dr. Joanne Maroto-Soltis, Dr. Ira Galin, Dr. Eric Jimenez, Regional Hospice, and Maplewood of Danbury staff.
