Mary Catherine (Austin) Clark, 93, of Radford, passed away on Monday, May 1, 2017. Catherine was born in Radford on July 16, 1923, the daughter of the late Timothy Roscoe Austin and Maudie Frances (Turpin) Austin.
Catherine graduated from Radford High School in 1940, and Radford College in 1944. While working part-time during college at Norfolk and Western Railroad, she met her late husband, James Franklin (Jim) Clark. They were married on February 14, 1946 and shared 67 wonderful years until his death in 2013. She taught in the Radford City School System for 30 years. She often reminisced about the wonderful times she experienced with her pupils and said many times, “I loved every minute of teaching.”
Catherine was a life-long member of Grove United Methodist Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and three sisters, Margaret Austin, Betty Hurst and Peggy Hubble.
Catherine is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Frank and Palma Clark; two grandsons, Timothy and J Clark; granddaughter-in-law, Haley Clark; great-granddaughter, Whitney Clark; and brother and sister-in-law, Doug and Sylvia Austin.
Commonwealth Senior Living in Radford has been “home” to Catherine for nearly six years. The family would like to thank everyone there for their kindness and love during that time.
The family will receive friends from 1-2 p.m. Monday, May 8, 2017 at the Mullins Funeral Home in Radford. Memorial services will begin at 2 p.m. with Rev. Richard Patterson and Martee Buchanan officiating. Interment will follow at the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to Grove United Methodist Church for the Holston Conference United Methodist Home for Children.
The Clark family is in the care of Mullins Funeral Home in Radford.
