Mary J Clouse

(June 21, 1937 – March 13, 2026)

Mary Jo Clouse, 88, died peacefully on March 13, 2026, in Longwood, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Clouse Restoration Ministries, 638 Brookfield Loop, Lake Mary, FL 32746.

Born Mary Elizabeth Craig on June 21, 1937, in Rock Springs, Arkansas, she became known to many around the world simply as Mary Jo—the name she preferred and the one by which countless friends and ministry partners knew her.

The youngest of four children, she was the daughter of Dolphus Craig and Theresa Kinder, who worked as sharecroppers. She often shared stories of how poor the family was during those early years in rural Arkansas. Because the school in her small town only went to 8th grade she moved in with friends in the next town to finish her schooling, supporting herself as a waitress.

From those humble beginnings, Mary Jo built a remarkable life. As a young single mother raising two children, she worked hard to provide for her family before eventually meeting George Clouse at the Orlando Sentinel, where they both worked. (She worked as a cold type setter for many years). They later married and began a life together devoted to ministry.

Over the years, she held a variety of jobs, including working part-time at Charisma Media for 34 years, faithfully handling payroll until just two months before her death.

But Mary Jo’s greatest passion was ministry. Along with her late husband George, she founded Clouse Restoration Ministries. She assisted George in writing several books and later authored one of her own, Getting Free, available in English and Spanish on Amazon.com.

Though she and George ministered in places such as the Cayman Islands and Ecuador, her own ministry expanded significantly through the Charisma Women’s Conferences from 1995 to 2005, where she led the prayer and deliverance ministry and also served as a seminar speaker. Those gatherings opened doors for her to minister across the United States as well as internationally in Finland and Guatemala.

Her message consistently focused on healing and helping people find freedom from spiritual oppression. She was known for praying for anyone, anywhere—even stopping in grocery store aisles to pray with someone in need.

Her daughter, Karen Bottoms Pope, remembers her mother as “a beautiful person—an amazing, strong woman who became a woman of God.”

Karen recalls that even as a single mother, Mary Jo showed unusual determination. In the 1960s, she purchased a home on her own—something uncommon for a single woman at that time. Karen describes her childhood as joyful and full of adventure, especially after Mary Jo married George.

Mary Jo was widely respected and loved by those whose lives she touched. Many considered her a mentor or spiritual mother. In her later years, she helped found Kingdom Culture Church in Winter Garden, Florida, where she was affectionately known as "Mama Jo." She continued praying for people and encouraging others until she developed congestive heart failure in the fall of 2025.

She was preceded in death by her husband, George Clouse; her son, Gill Bottoms; and members of her immediate family.

She is survived by her daughter, Karen Pope; her son-in-law, Kevin Pope; and four grandchildren—Trent (wife: Sarah), Evan (wife: Kendra), Ian and Kaycee Pope. She is also survived by two stepdaughters, Judy Skiles of Apopka, Florida, and Carolyn Harris of Panama City, Florida.

Mary Jo Clouse loved life and had a special gift for connecting with people. She will be remembered not only for rising from humble beginnings with dignity and grace, but also as a woman who deeply loved her family, her friends, and her God.

A celebration of life service will be held Saturday, March 21 at 11 am at Action Church in Winter Park on Grand Road. A private burial will take place next week at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Mims, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Clouse Restoration Ministries, 638 Brookfield Loop, Lake Mary, FL 32746.