Clare Burroughs McFarlin

CLARE BURROUGHS McFARLIN, 83

LAKELAND - Clare Burroughs McFarlin, 83, went to be with the Lord early March 15, 2012, as a result of complications after a fall.
Born June 1928 in Jacksonville, Florida, Clare was a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After graduation she married and accompanied her husband while he was at graduate school at Purdue and on his various assignments. After 28 years in Atlanta they returned to Lakeland in 1988. A member of the First Presbyterian Church of Lakeland, she served as an elder and was very active in church matters, including helping initiate the church Stephen Ministries program. She was a member of Church Circle #12, The Finer Things Antique Club, The Bluffs Book Club, P.E.O. Chapter CP, Engineers' Wives Club of Polk County, Delta Delta Delta Sorority, and she enjoyed reading and playing bridge. Clare liked 40's music and had a knack for gardening and interior decorating. An avid baseball fan, she favored the Braves and Tampa Bay Rays. She will be greatly missed by numerous friends and relatives.
Clare is survived by her husband of nearly 59 years, Richard F. McFarlin. They have four children: Robin Godwin of North Carolina and her husband Norman Earl and their two sons, Norman Earl III and Benjamin Brooks, Richard P. McFarlin of Jacksonville and his wife, Sonia and their two sons, Ryan and Christian; Rebecca Bray of North Carolina and her husband, Michael and their two daughters, Sarah Virginia and Katherine; and Roger McFarlin of Georgia and his son, Stephen, and daughter Sarah. Her sister is Mildred Cook of Boca Raton. Brother-in-law Whitney McFarlin and his wife Gail of Lakeland have been an integral part of their lives. She will be missed by brother-in-law Jack Mc-Farlin of Arkansas and his wife Shirley. Especially close were her cousins Margaret Holloway of Jacksonville Beach, and Lauren Sompayrac, Jr. and wife Victoria of Idaho.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to any of the following: First Presbyterian Church of Lakeland, Delta Delta Delta Sorority, P.O. Box 5987, Arlington, TX, 76005, P.E.O., C/O Sandra Ellington, 2 Brook Lane, Lakeland, 33803, Good Shepherd Hospice of Lakeland, 1919 Lakeland Hills Blvd., Lakeland, 33805.
Funeral services will be held on March 17, 2012, at 11:00 AM at First Presbyterian Church, 175 Lake Hollingsworth Drive.