Eileen Mae Clark

Mom lived what she always referred to as a good life.  She was born in Iron Springs Alberta and moved with her family to Bellview at an early age.  She remembered those years of roaming the hills with her friends very fondly.  When she was 13 the family returned to Barhill.  After completing High School,   she attended college in Calgary then worked for a year before moving back to Lethbridge to work at the Crystal Dairy.

She met Ed Clark and soon after they married, enjoying a long and happy life together. They moved to Grande Prairie Alberta with their first daughter Alyson and took up residence on the airport where Ed was the electrician.  Leslie was born soon after.  In 1957 they moved on to Fort St John.  The family lived in two tent trailers that summer while Ed and Eileen built the small house that remained their family home for many years.  They added three boys Randy, Larry and Darryl to the family and soon that house was bursting at the seams with activity.

Mom worked from home those years raising her children, tending to her large garden as well as various cats and dogs.  She was always an active woman and throughout her life enjoyed walking the Peace River Hills, picking and preserving wild berries with her friend Clair Meashaw.  With that family and others, we enjoyed many trips up the Peace River in the river boats that Dad and Del Meashaw built.  After construction of the WAC Bennett dam on the river they began to ply the lakes and rivers from Fort St James up to Takla Lake to camp and fish.

Mom was involved in many organizations and activities in the area.  In the early years she helped with every group that the children were involved with including Brownies, Hockey, Figure Skating and Dancing.  Her and Ed were both enthusiastic curlers and Mom twice attended the BC Provincial Championships.  As her children grew, she took up Golfing and skiing. She enjoyed joining her children on the local hill as well as Azu Ski Village in the Pine Pass but felt like she was in Heavon on the groomed slopes of Kimberly.

She joined Eastern Star in the early 1960’s and it became a lifelong commitment for her.  The children often watched in dismay as numerous plates of cookies, pies and cakes were carted off to yet another bake sale along with many knitted or crocheted items.  She became Worthy Grand Matron in Cranbrook and visited every chapter in the area during this time as well as attending the annual conference in Chilliwack.

Mom loved to sing and in 1986 traveled with the Cranbrook Community Choir to sing at Expo 86.  She was a long-time member of the United Church Choir.  She enjoyed traveling.  Together her and Ed road-tripped and camped almost every corner of BC and Alberta.  They travelled the western United States and cruised the Caribbean Sea together.  In later years, Eileen travelled to Hawaii, Mexico and the Dominican Republic with her children by her side.  She also travelled to England and France with a local High School Group.

She moved to Kootenay Street Village when it opened and enjoyed her final years there meeting old friends and making new ones.  She will be sorely missed by all who knew her joyous laugh.

Ed and Eileen both loved dancing and Mom was fondly referred to as “Mrs. Good Dancer” by their friends.

She has gone dancing with Dad again.

Eileen was predeceased by her husband Edward Clark, sisters Winnifred and Doreen and brother Albert.

Eileen is lovingly survived by daughters Alyson Ringstad and Leslie Milan, sons Randy (Shirley) Clark, Larry (Leslie) Clark and Darryl Clarke (Nissa Gese).  Grandchildren Aaron, Tanis, James, Eric, Carina, Jolene, David, Alexandra, Brendan, Carson and Jessica as well as eight Great Grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Cranbrook Kimberley Hospice Society.

A Celebration of Life for Eileen will take place on Saturday August 2, 2025 at 11am at McPherson Funeral Home in Cranbrook.

mcphersonfh.com

Article Share