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Margaret Davis Clarke died November 10th, 2017 at Kindred Nursing and
Rehabilitation - Laurel Lake in Lee.
Margaret was the daughter of the late Dr. George G. Davis and Alice Mildred
Parker Davis and was born in Arcade, NY on September 22, 1920. She was educated in
Arcade schools, graduating from Arcade High School as Valedictorian of the Class of
1938. She continued her education at Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio. She
married Lester J. Clarke on August 8, 1942 in the Arcade Methodist Church.
The Clarkes first lived in Bath, NY and after Lester entered Civilian Public Service
as a Conscientious Objector in 1943, Margaret joined him at Camp 27F in Orlando, FL.
After Lester's discharge from CPS in 1946, they moved to a barn in South Lee and built a
rammed earth house, moving into it in 1951.
For about 25 years, Margaret was employed as a medical secretary in Florida by
Dr. Elwyn Evans, a cardiologist; in Pittsfield by Dr. S. Spence Levin; by Dr. Byrne
DeWeese, an anesthesiologist; and by Dr. Christopher Mamonas, urologist; for 14 years
as parish secretary at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Stockbridge. Then for several years
she was secretary to Ursula M. Niebuhr, assisting with correspondence, manuscript
typing and medical insurance-finally retiring in 1995.
The Clarkes became members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in the
early 1950's and were members of the Middle Connecticut Valley Monthly Meeting, now
Mt. Toby Monthly Meeting in Leverett, MA. As that meeting was at a distance, the
Clarkes held Meeting for Worship in their home from 1968-1983, moving to Simon's
Rock College for the next 14 years. Now the meeting, South Berkshire Monthly Meeting,
has its own meeting house in Great Barrington. Margaret has held office as Treasurer,
Recording Clerk, Clerk of the meeting, Clerk of Ministry and Counsel and
Representative of the meeting for New England Yearly Meeting Ministry and Counsel.
The Clarkes renewed their Marriage Vows on August 8, 1992 at the New England Yearly
Meeting sessions on their 50th anniversary.
Lester predeceased Margaret in an automobile accident on August 19, 1999. She
was also predeceased by her sisters Dorothy Davis Carter and Elizabeth Davis Burns and

a niece, Suzanne Carol Burns. She is survived by her niece, Karen J. Burns of Syracuse,
New York. She also leaves her many friends at South Berkshire Meeting and her loving
friends, Laurel and Mario Caluori, Bonner McAllester, and Joe Baker.
We are especially thankful to the staff at Kindred at Laurel Lake for their care for
Margaret during her last years.
A Memorial Meeting will be held at on November 26 from 12noon until 1PM at the South Berkshire Meeting House at 280 State Road, Great Barrington.
Margaret was a quiet, intelligent individual who was always interested in world
affairs. She regularly donated to countless charities, knitted leper bandages for decades,
and had a love for all living things, especially her cats. She will be sorely missed.