It is with great sadness that the family of Marie Blanche (Doiron) Clarke announces her passing on Dec. 1, 2018, at the age of 84 years. Marie will be lovingly remembered by her children, Melissa (Jamie) Deckard; Nick (Christy) Zorn, and stepson Robert Clarke, Jr.; grandsons, Skyler Powers, Ryan Zorn and Cole Zorn; step grandsons, Arron Deckard and Cody Clarke & family; step granddaughter, Kailee Deckard, in addition to many nieces and nephews and extended family.
Marie was 1 of 16 siblings in her birth family (Parisi) with whom she connected later in life. She will be fondly missed by her remaining siblings and their families, especially her younger brother, Jerry Howard (Noella) with whom she had formed a special bond. She was grateful to meet her birth family and only wished she had more opportunities to visit Maine and get to know them better. Marie spoke fondly of her adopted family, Emile and Antoinette Doiron, and her foster family, Cyrus and Josie Twitchell. She was pre-deceased by her parents, her husband of 29 years, Robert A. Clarke, and her foster brother, Jerald Twitchell and foster sisters, Anita Cook and Mary Johnson in addition to several of her birth family siblings.
Originally from South Paris, Maine, Marie had made her home in Pensacola, Florida, for over 30 years. She obtained her cosmetology license after graduating from Pelletier School of Beauty Culture in Lewiston, Maine, in 1953. While her children were young, she was a military wife and homemaker then later was employed at Pensacola Junior College for 19 years until her retirement in 2000. She had a passion for reading, loved the beach, enjoyed dancing, crafting, and was a talented painter and seamstress. She also had a special place in her heart for her feline fur babies.
Marie had a giving heart and a playfulness about her that attracted many friends over the years. She was a loving and loyal mother, wife and friend who would go to the ends of the earth to ensure her family and friends were safe, happy and felt loved. She never missed a band concert, soccer game, parents’ weekend or other important event.
We wish to extend a special thanks to the many individuals who touched her life in a positive way during her time in Charlotte, especially her friends at Randazzo’s Gridiron Restaurant who gave her and our family VIP treatment every visit, Stella at Pur Salon for making Mom look and feel beautiful and lifting her spirits, Regina with Visiting Angels for her kindness and compassion, the Healthy at Home therapy team for your hard work and dedication, Jordan and Dr. Miranda and the kind people at PACE of the Southern Piedmont Program, and Wanda Baldwin who always gave us a reason to shop and smile.
A Celebration of Life will be held this Saturday, January 5th, at 11 AM, at Bayview Fisher-Pou Chapel. Donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Humane Society in lieu of flowers.
