Mary J Clare

Mary J. Clare Zimmer (nee Potter), 88, a resident of Liberty Village of Maryville, Ill., passed away peacefully in the early hours of Friday morning, November 21, 2025. She was born on November 18, 1937, in Highland, Ill., the fifth and youngest child of parents Fred "Pop" and Bertha (nee Goings) Potter and grew up in Wilson Heights, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Collinsville, Ill. She attended Collinsville High School and graduated in 1955.

She married Fred E. Clare, a US Air Force officer, in 1956, and spent the next two decades supporting him on his various military assignments which took them to Houston, Texas, Biloxi, Mississippi, Okinawa, Japan, Denver, Colo., Mililani Town, Hawaii, Lee's Summit, Mo., and O'Fallon, Ill.

Upon Fred's last military assignment in the late 1970s, they moved back to the St. Louis area where she and Fred rekindled lifelong friendships. She enjoyed monthly lunches with her '55 high school girlfriends and became a member of the PEO Sisterhood. In the 1980s, she spent 10 years working at O'Fallon High School as the secretary to the dean of girls. During the 1980s and 1990s, she and her sister Phyllis enjoyed many travel adventures together, including trips to California, Hawaii, Ireland and the UK.

Mary excelled at just about anything she put her mind to. In addition to her many homemaking skills, she was an expert seamstress and loved sewing for her family and creating beautiful decorative accessories for her home. She was born with the ability to play the piano by ear and shared her special gift with her family on many occasions. A sweet and caring spirit beloved by all who knew her, she had a flair for fashion. From head to toe, her style was always intentional and polished.

A woman of faith, she became a member of Copper Creek Christian Church in Maryville, Ill., during her marriage to Wayne L. Zimmer in the early aughts.

Mary is survived by her two children, Karen Clare and Brad Clare (Sarah), her grandchildren Aaron Clare and Lauren Clare, along with nieces, nephews and cousins, step-children Jim Zimmer (Pam), Linda Stofleth (Jody) and John Zimmer (Holly) and several grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Fred Clare (d. 1996), second husband Wayne L. Zimmer (d. 2024), her parents, her sister Phyllis Boster (d. 2017), and brothers Fred, Edwin and Jerome.

The family will receive friends from 9:30 am to 11 am, then hold a brief service at 11 am, Monday, December 1, 2025, at Sunset Hill Funeral Home, 50 Fountain Drive, in Glen Carbon, Ill., with burial to follow at St. John's Cemetery, in Collinsville.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.

The family is being served by HERR Funeral Home, 501 West Main Street, Collinsville, Illinois 62034.

Memorial Donation