Married 65 years, longtime Claremont couple dies eight days apart

United in matrimony and in death, Paul and Margaret “Marge” Clark died just eight days apart on July 4 and 12, respectively. Mr. Clark was 87 and Mrs. Clark was 86. They were married for 65 years.

The couple’s daughter Anne Reagan recounted a conversation she had with her mother following her father’s death.

“Mom said, ‘Do you think dad is waiting for me in heaven?’” Ms. Reagan shared. “And a week and a day later she passed away.”

Alfred Paul Clark was born December 7, 1929 in Chicago, Illinois to Alfred Clark and Margaret (Hanses) Clark. Margaret Geraldine Clark was born September 10, 1930 in Blue Island, Illinois to Virgil Brosseau and Margaret (Fitzgerald) Brosseau.

Paul and Marge met at Fenger High School in Chicago. Mr. Clark found himself falling in love with “that girl who sat in front of me in home room,” family shared. The feeling must have been mutual, because that girl later moved to California with Mr. Clark’s mother and waited for him to complete active service in Korea with the US Marine Corps. After his service the high school sweethearts married on April 26, 1952 in Azusa.

The Clarks lived in Claremont for 32 years. Together they raised two daughters, Anne and Marilyn, and a son, Donald, all of whom attended Condit Elementary, La Puerta Middle School and graduated from Claremont High.

Mr. Clark retired from Aerojet Electro Systems in Azusa after a long electrical engineering career. Mrs. Clark managed the family home and cared for their children. The couple moved to Eagle, Idaho in 1995 to be closer to children and grandchildren.

The couple enjoyed boating, traveling, reading and visiting family together. Mr. Clark loved fishing, woodworking, playing cards or chess and building model railroads. Mrs. Clark loved playing the organ and working jigsaw and crossword puzzles. Above all the couple loved time with their family, especially being an active part in the lives of their five grandchildren. They made many excursions around the country and to Canada to attend high school sporting events, college activities and graduations. There was nothing more dear to them than family, their children shared.

“We all expected mom to go first,” Ms. Reagan said, noting that her mother was on hospice care for nine months prior to her death. “Dad was very strong. We were really not expecting him to go. We went to the grocery store a week-and-a-half before he passed. He walked the aisles and everything. But he was a Marine, and he died on the Fourth of July, so we thought that was appropriate.”

The couple is survived by their three children, Anne Reagan, Marilyn (David) Eagleton of Eagle, Idaho and Donald (Teri) Clark of Bothell, Washington; and their five grandchildren Christopher, Deanna, Connor, Cameron and Annelise.

A visitation for family and friends will be held at 9 a.m. August 14 at Holy Apostles Catholic Church, in Meridian, Idaho, followed by a rosary at 10 a.m. and funeral mass at 11 a.m. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. at Idaho State Veteran’s Cemetery in Boise.

Remembrances may be left for the family at accentfuneral.com by clicking on “view more life stories” and searching for Paul Clark. Scroll to the bottom of Mr. Clark’s life story for information on donations in lieu of flowers.