Marilyn Rose Clark

Marilyn Rose Clark July 17, 1938 - August 27, 2025 "I created minimal damage to the earth while living on it." Those were Marilyn Clark's own words, and they capture her impact perfectly. She lived lightly, cared deeply, and left behind a life that mattered. Her story began on July 17, 1938, in Canton, Missouri, where she was born to Earl and Bessie Clark as the youngest of ten children. Growing up in such a large family gave her a sense of belonging and the courage to find her own path. Education was her doorway to the world. She first studied at Culver-Stockton College in her hometown of Canton before continuing her education in Chicago and Colorado. In Colorado, she also discovered a joy that stayed with her for life, skiing the wide-open slopes of the Rockies. Upon completion of her studies, Marilyn forged a career in public relations, a field that opened doors to a life full of stories, people, and unforgettable moments. Her career flourished at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville quickly became more than just the city where she worked; it became her home. There, she gave deeply of herself, pouring her energy into the arts center she adored and volunteering at Churchill Downs, sharing in the joy of the Kentucky Derby each year. Yet her curiosity and love of life stretched far beyond one city. She traveled to nearly every corner of the world, skiing in Switzerland, walking the streets of Russia and Ukraine in the 1980s when they were still part of the Soviet Union, and visiting every small country in Europe. She ventured to China, occasionally slipped away to Mexico just for lunch, and returned again and again to France. Paris was her great love, a place where her spirit felt most at home. After sharing a meal there with her late brother Joe, she often said, "We will always have Paris." Everywhere she went, Marilyn carried the same spirit: integrity, curiosity, and joy. She sought knowledge as naturally as she breathed, and she found delight in places both near and far. Her approach to life was simple, as she often said: "Nothing to it but to do it." She is survived by one sister, Dorothy Gorrell of Canton, as well as by many nieces and nephews who loved her dearly. She was preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Bessie Clark, and her siblings, Clifford, Mary, Marjorie, Frances, Joe, Wayne, Marguerite, and Jim. Private graveside services will be held. Interment will be in Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Missouri. Marilyn will be remembered with love by all who knew her. She leaves behind a life lived fully, a world experienced deeply, and an earth left gently. Or, in her own words: "I created minimal damage to the earth while living on it."