Mary Clark ALLENTOWN — Members of the community were recently left reeling after learning that lifelong resident, former councilwoman and community advocate Mary Clark, 90, had died.
Clark, who died on March 1, was a prominent figure in the community, having spent a significant portion of her adult life participating in various organizations, including the Allentown Villagers, the Allentown Upper Freehold Historical Society and the UM Women of the Allentown United Methodist Church.
For more than 30 years, Clark worked as a teacher and high school librarian in the local school system.
According to resident Ann Garrison, one of Clark’s primary aspirations was to preserve the historical importance of Allentown, which served as a staging ground during the Revolutionary War.
“[Clark] used to collect old trinkets … and talk about the good old days of Allentown,” Garrison said.
Clark, who received honors that included serving as grand marshal of the Memorial Day parade and being selected as Woman of the Year by the Women’s Association of Allentown, was also remembered for her years of service as an elected official.
Over the years, Clark served multiple terms on the Borough Council and the Planning Board, using her “bulldoggish” and proactive nature to help improve and beautify Allentown.
“Mary Clark was a doer and a public servant both outside of public office and within the government of Allentown,” Mayor Stuart Fierstein said.
Fierstein, who served on the council with Clark, said her tenacious interest in her hometown was always readily apparent.
As the daughter of Chris and Eva Theoharis, who owned the Allentown Candy Kitchen, Clark was known as a staunch supporter for the owners of small businesses.
Garrison said Clark was one of the first women to be elected to Allentown’s governing body.
“When Mary got on council, it was very unusual for a woman to get there, so she was breaking ground in that aspect,” Garrison said.
News of Clark’s death came several weeks after another prominent member of the community, Betsy Poinsett, died at the age of 73.
“Both will be sorely missed because they are a fabric of what has become Allentown,” Fierstein said. “To lose both of them in such a short timeframe was a terrible blow to the community.”