Obituary for
Irene Ethel Clark
CLARK, Irene -
Mom knew what she liked and what she didn't like, and she made those choices clear. At 95, she had earned that right. So here are a few of her favourite things:
Movies: Casablanca, Driving Miss Daisy, My Fair Lady.
TV shows: Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, 60 Minutes.
Singers: Frank Sinatra, with Nat King Cole a distant second.
Meals: Chicken Alfredo, tomato soup.
Snacks: Cheezies, mandarin oranges, strawberries.
Drinks: Gin, tonic and orange juice; limoncello; Zinfandel.
Flowers: Chrysanthemums, African violets, roses.
Interests: Sewing, knitting, gardening.
Here are some other things you should know about Mom: She was born Irene Ethel Berta on March 11, 1922, in Orosháza, Hungary. She and her family sailed for Canada in 1930. She remembers the voyage as the first time she ever ate Jello. They lived in the village of Edgeley, north of Toronto, where Mom attended a one-room schoolhouse. Later they moved to Toronto. She attended Weston Collegiate and held several jobs in the 1940s. While on vacation, she met Doug Clark at Deer Lodge in Haliburton and they married in 1951. They had four children: Valorie (1952), Brian (1957), Ron (1959) and Nancy (1963). The family moved to Rexdale in 1964. She visited every province except Newfoundland on family camping trips and travelled to Europe with Dad. Mom moved to the Humber Heights seniors residence in Etobicoke in 2012 after Dad passed away. The care workers would sometimes sing "Goodnight, Irene" to her at bedtime. She loved to dote on her grandchildren, Mitchell and Madeleine Clark. In addition to her children and grandchildren, she is survived by her sister, Nora Vincent. Sister Gizella Sinclair and brother Louis Berta died previously. Join children Valorie, Brian, Ron and Nancy, daughter-in-law Joanne, son-in-law Mark and grandchildren Mitchell and Madeleine at NEWEDIUK FUNERAL HOME, KIPLING CHAPEL, 2058 Kipling Avenue (North of Rexdale Boulevard), on Thursday, January 4, 2018 from 5 p.m. until memorial service time at 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Hospital for Sick Children would be appreciated. Online condolences at newediukfuneralhome.com
