Frances "Bitsie" Clark

Frances "Bitsie" Clark died of natural causes on October 10th surrounded by her loved ones in her apartment in Whitney Center in Hamden, Connecticut. Conceived at Vassar, born in Cohoes, raised in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, Bitsie spent her formative years with her beloved brothers John and Malcolm and a host of kids from the neighborhood playing, going to Camp Sloane, thriving at Union Church, playing the piano, analyzing and arguing with the boys, smoking cigarettes, adoring her father Donald, an accountant, and alternating fighting with and admiring her mother, Dr. Jean Thompson. Bitsie attend Vassar College (Class of 1953) and met Yale freshman John Clark on a blind date her sophomore year. In 1954 upon his graduation, John and Bitsie married and moved to Lawton, Oklahoma to fulfil John's ROTC commitments and then to New Haven so John could attend Yale Law School. Bitsie got a job at the Girls Scouts catapulting her into the wonderful world of nonprofits, people and doing good – themes for the rest of her life. Bitsie worked at the Girl Scouts for 13 years and at the close of the 60s, The Clark moved to Branford and started a family with Jonathan in 1967 and Mary in 1969. When most of her peers were returning to work, Bitsie retired from the Girl Scouts and began her proudest accomplishment, raising kids and being a mother. Through many idyllic years in Branford, Bitsie was always turned to her North Star - New Haven. Never one to let her gifts go to waste Bitsie sat on and chaired several boards - the APT (Addiction Prevention Treatment) Foundation, the Neighborhood Music School, Whitney Center Board, Ct Trails Council for the Girl Scouts, The Vassar Club just to name a few. When Bitsie and John divorced after 33 years of marriage, Bitsie, a professional volunteer, got a job as the Executive Director of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven where she served for 20 years and fundamentally changed the landscape of Arts in the city. If you were an artist with an idea, if you needed a champion, if you needed funding or wanted to change the world – you would go to Bitsie. But for Bitsie, it wasn't just the artists it was also the ARTS as a FORCE as a CHANGEMAKER and as an ECONOMIC ENGINE. Together with movers and shakers, Bitsie set out to create the New Have Audubon Arts District anchored by ECA, the Neighborhood Music School, CAW, the Arts Council, The Foundation and housing. The Audubon Arts District, and indeed all of the Arts in New Haven thrived under Bitsie's stewardship. One of the Arts leaders said it best when he said, "The thing about Bitsie Clark is she is always more enthusiastic about what you are doing than you are." Upon the birth of her first grandchild, Bitsie retired from the Arts Council and was elected the Alder of Ward 7. She served on the Board of Aldermen for 8 years representing downtown, a place she helped put on the map. At age 79, Bitsie decided to go back to work and run HomeHaven, leading and growing an organization dedicated to seniors living and thriving in their homes, for 6 years. When Bitsie's COPD proved too much, it was time for her to join Whitney Center where she continued her organizing and advocacy on the Residents Council, Lecture Committee and Employee Appreciation Fund. In addition to loving people, she also loved to read, and travel was a computer and iphone whiz for her age. Outside of her outsized love for her family and the adopted city she called home, perhaps the best and most important culminating chapter of Bitsie's life was the profound gift and legacy afford to her by 5 extraordinary women in their own right, all mentored by Bitsie in some capacity, who came together to create The Bitsie Clark Fund for Artists. Not only was she able to work right up until the end, but more importantly, the fund and its artist grants in her name was and remains a yardstick to measure her impact both at the end of her life and ongoing into the future. Bitsie is survived by her children Jonathan and Amy Clark and her grandchildren Taylor, Ethan and Jordan of Plano, Texas and her daughter Mary and Jimmy Vines and their children Clark and Tommy of Brooklyn, New York as well as sisters-in-law Bunny Thomspon and Janet Thompson as well as beloved nieces and nephews, grand nieces and nephews, and countless colleagues and friends. A Celebration of Life will be held at Battell Chapel on November 19, 2025 at 10:30 am followed by a reception of the Elm City Club. All who knew Bitsie and loved her are invited. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent The Bitsie Clark Fund For Artists The Bitsie Clark Fund -