Marianne Clark

Marianne Bates Clark Nashville, TN Marianne Bates Clark, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and prominent Nashville theatre director and actor, died of heart failure at age 75 on January 14, 2015 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.Marianne is survived by her husband of nearly 53 years, Ray Foster Clark; her children, Catherine Clark Graham, Allison Clark Bender (Chris Bender), & Melissa Clark Richards (Paul Richards); her grandchildren, Ray Graham, Carlye Bender, and Peter Richards; and her brothers, William Buford Bates (Betty) and Mark Clark Bates (Annie).She is preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Edward Bates, Sr. and Mary Antoinette Buford Bates, and by her brother, Thomas Edward Bates, Jr.Marianne was born in 1939 in Nashville, TN. She attended Nashville public schools, George Peabody College, and The Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida. In 1962, she married Ray Foster Clark in Nashville, and they became parents of three daughters.For more than fifty years, Marianne was an esteemed actor, director, and producer in Nashville area community theatres. She was awarded countless honors as Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress. During the 1990's she founded Nashville Playhouse and served as its Executive Director. During the 1970's Marianne directed the drama productions for St. Paul Christian Academy (Nashville), and she founded the drama program at Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, TN). She also directed a weekly TV show, "By and For", featuring local high school students for Nashville Metro Schools. Marianne was a member of Brentwood United Methodist Church, where she was president of the Robert I. Moore Sunday School class.A Memorial service will be held at Brentwood United Methodist Church (309 Franklin Road) on Saturday, January 24, 2015. The family will receive guests from three o' clock in the afternoon until four and the service will begin at four o' clock in the sanctuary.