Catherine F Clark

She was born on Valentine’s Day 1921 in Plant City, the only child of Robert Milton and Nita O’Quinn Fletcher. She attended Plant City public schools and was a graduate of Florida Southern College. Catherine was crowned Florida Strawberry Festival Queen in 1940 and she remained active in Festival activities throughout her lifetime. She chaired the first Strawberry Festival fashion show luncheon, a role she continued for many years. She was active in numerous civic and political organizations in Plant City and served as president of the Woman’s Club, the Junior Woman’s Club and the Arts Council. She was also a past member of the Krewe of Venus and a charter member of the Centre Club in Tampa. She was a parishioner of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Catherine loved to travel to far-away places and she made friends wherever she went. Her grace, laughter and joyful spirit will be missed by her family and friends in Florida, Texas and around the world. She was preceded in death by her parents and husbands, J. Garner Helms and Moring P. Clark, Jr. She is survived by daughter Mary C. Clark and her husband, James W. Gorab of Houston. She is also survived by grandsons James (JJ) Gorab of New York, Jonathan Gorab and his wife Frances Perrone, and Justin Gorab, all of Tampa. Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2011 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 302 N. Carey Street in Plant City. Friends are invited to visit with the family at a reception immediately following the service in Bender Hall at St. Peter’s. In lieu of flowers the family would be grateful for memorial gifts to Houston Hospice, 1905 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 302 N. Carey St., Plant City, FL 33563 or South Florida Baptist Hospital Foundation, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City, FL 33563.

Arrangements under direction of Wells Memorial Funeral Home.