Obituary of Elsie Merle Clarke

CLARKE, Elsie Merle, age 93, of Upper Kennetcook, Hants County, NS, and more recently of Halifax, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 2, at Evan Hall, Parkland Clayton Park, Halifax, where she had resided for the past 5 years. A daughter of the late Glyn and Gladys (Hennigar) Clarke, Elsie lived most of her life in Upper Kennetcook. Like so many women of her era, she assisted with the (WWII) war effort on the home front. After High School, she earned her Teaching Certificate at the Normal College in Truro, later completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Kings College, Halifax and years later, completed a Master of Education at Acadia in Wolfville. She loved her teaching career, most of which was spent teaching in Kennetcook, many different schools in Hants County, as well as a number of years teaching in Canning, NS. Former students would say later in life that Elsie was the kind of teacher who took a personal interest in their lives. She touched the lives of many in a positive way through her teaching, helping to set the foundations for their future successes in life. She also often filled the role of math tutor for some of her nieces and nephews on their summer visits to Upper Kennetcook. Elsie took her role as an Aunt very seriously. For her nieces and nephews on their visits to Upper Kennetcook, she was playmate, lifeguard, recreation director, entertainment director and driver. Trips to the beach at Noel Shore and to the swimming hole in the nearby Clarke Brook, impromptu inter-generational soft ball, badminton, croquet and tennis games, car trips to attractions in nearby communities, evening entertainment with 8mm home movies, and family sing-alongs at the piano or the pump organ. All these and much more were led by Elsie. She made sure a visit to Upper Kennetcook was full of fun for her nieces and nephews. Elsie was a proud Nova Scotian. On her rare travels outside the province, she always made a point of wearing the Nova Scotia Tartan and talking up the province to the people she would meet. Her travels included a visit to Britain, Expo 67 in Montreal, Western Canada and to Ontario. For Elsie, family, community and career were the top priorities in her life. She gave up her beloved teaching career in the 1980s to care for her ageing parents. Throughout her life, Elsie was a pillar of the community in Upper Kennetcook and surrounding area. When her parents passed on, Elsie continued to live in the family home in Upper Kennetcook. She was a member, choir member, and for many years, warden of St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Upper Kennetcook, and for many decades was active in the Anglican Church Women’s organization. She was a strong voice for her rural community and often organized community support to bring the needs of her community to the attention of all levels of government. She was a lifelong member of the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party and the Conservative Party of Canada. For many in her community, as they grew older and unable to drive, it was Elsie they could count on to get them to medical appointments, shopping outings, and other necessary travel when they had no one else. Everyone in Upper Kennetcook always knew that Elsie could be counted on to lend a helping hand in time of need, and for some, she would even identify their need before they realized it themselves. In the 1990s, family duty called again, and Elsie moved to Halifax to be with her sister, Myrna. For many years after that, Elsie would return to Upper Kennetcook for the summer months, where she would pick up where she had left off with her many community involvements. Elsie was the last surviving member of her immediate family. She was predeceased by sisters Audrey (Murdock), Marjorie (Larsen), Myrna (Slater), and brother, Doug. She is lovingly remembered by her sister-in-law, Betty Clarke, Wolfville; nieces and nephews: Ann Larsen (Brian Robertson), Rothesay, NB; Ted Larsen (Annette Murphy), Halifax, NS; Jane MacDonald (Bart), Saint John, NB; Greg Murdock (Heather), Rothesay, NB; Jeff Murdock (Kelly), Oromocto, NB; Chris Murdock (Stacey), Saint John, NB; Julie Clarke (Steve Caseley), Brookside, NS, Sue Clarke (Ray Hurst) New Hamburg, ON; Paul Clarke (Mary), Medford, NS; MaryBeth Clarke, Wolfville, NS, 24 great nieces and nephews, 3 great great nieces and nephews, all of whom are better for her presence in their lives over the decades, and whose birthdays she never forgot. Ever!! Cremation has taken place. Memorial service on June 13, 2015, 11 am, at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Upper Kennetcook. Burial immediately following at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Upper Kennetcook. Reception following interment at Kennetcook Fire Hall. No flowers please. Donations to St. Peter’s Anglican Church or charity of choice. Arrangements have been entrusted to Ettinger Funeral Home in Shubenacadie. Email condolences may be sent to clarke.memories@gmail.com.