Clarice L. Stetter

Clarice L. (Young) Stetter, loving wife to Rolf, beloved mother of Mark (Kelly), Debra, and Tanya, and proud grandmother of Zachary, Lucas, Matthew and Jenna passed away on May 23, 2016 at the age of 82. She was predeceased by her sister Kathleen A. Wissen LoBianco and survived by nephews David A. Wissen and Chris J. (Robin) Wissen, grandniece Amber Wissen and grandnephew Evan Wissen.

Clarice was born in her grandmother’s house in Clear Lake, Iowa on April 15, 1934. Her parents, Violet and Byron Young, had a difficult marriage and Clarice’s early years were punctuated with frequent moves and times spent living with relatives. In 1942, her parents divorced and her mother moved with Clarice and her baby sister, Kathy, to Rockford, Illinois. Clarice had numerous responsibilities at home to help her working mother and little sister; yet she excelled at school and was active in extracurricular activities. She won many awards and was elected to a number of student leadership positions. When she was chosen to be editor in chief for the high school newspaper, she wrote in her scrapbook “This was the biggest night of my life up to date – what a birthday present!”

After she graduated from East High School in 1952, Clarice became to the first person in her family to go to college. Her tuition and other expenses were covered by a scholarship and her earnings from work during college. She received a B.A. from Northwestern University (1956) and a Masters from Medill School of Journalism (1957). Upon graduation, she worked as an editor for World Book Encyclopedia.

Clarice met her future husband, Rolf, when they were both playing miniature golf with friends. They married on August 15, 1959. Married for almost 57 years, Clarice and Rolf had a true partnership, living in Wilmette and raising their children, Mark, Debra and Tanya. They were frequent travelers and counted many national parks, San Francisco, Alaska, England, Africa, Guatemala and Australia among their favorite destinations. Clarice was an amazing cook and she and Rolf hosted many dinner parties for friends as well as an annual two-night Glogg party each holiday season.

In addition to being a full time mom and wife, Clarice worked throughout her life as a community activist and journalist. She joined the League of Women Voters in 1965 and later became President of the Wilmette League and a member of the Illinois State Board of Directors. During her tenure as President of the Wilmette League, she worked with the Wilmette School District to develop Student Government Day. Later, she worked with all of the north suburban Leagues to celebrate Women's History Month with an annual speaker and lunch. She also worked for decades as an election judge and deputy register registering people to vote. She wrote Voters Guides for the Chicago Tribune and worked on many local campaigns. As she said on more than one occasion: “Democracy is not a spectator sport.”

Starting in the 1980s, Clarice worked to improve the lives of people suffering from developmental disabilities and mental illness. She chaired a study to determine housing needs for those populations, was co-chair for Coalition for Group Homes, and worked to minimize the stigma of mental illness. She edited “Profile of Community Services for the Mentally Ill in Illinois and A Home of Their Own: Developing Housing in Your Community for Persons with Mental Illness." She was appointed by then Governor Edgar to the Illinois Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities. She helped organize WilPower (now Thresholds) to provide support services to people with mental illness.

Clarice was passionate about women’s rights and recognizing the contributions of women. In the 1990s, she was part of the Women’s History Project and an associate editor for “Women Building Chicago 1970-1990 – A Biographical Dictionary (2001).”

In 2002, Clarice was named Wilmette’s Citizen of the Year. As one of her nominator’s said “Clarice’s 40 years of extraordinary participation in the life of our village is quite possibly unparalleled.”

In her final years, Clarice suffered from dementia. However, her love for her family and community remained strong. Clarice passed away on May 23, 2016. She will be greatly missed but she will live on through her family and her many contributions to others.