BALTIMORE, Md — Saturday morning the community will gather to remember former Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. The avid supporter of Baltimore, mother of four and grandmother to 10, died November 10th following a brief illness.
During her time, while short in stature, she always stood tall for Baltimore and women's rights.
Fighting for Baltimore
In 1975, Mary Pat Clarke was just one of three women serving on Baltimore City's male-dominated city council. Again, it was 1975, and women were still making their way into the workplace, even more so in politics.
Clarke, Barbara Mikulski, and Victorine Adams were the only three elected female officials at those meetings.
In 2017, Clarke sat down with WMAR to talk about her beginning years in office.
She would serve Baltimore as a councilwoman for a total of 32 years, including 8 as the first woman council president for Baltimore City.
There was a break in politics, but she was still working to make lives better by teaching students at UMBC, Johns Hopkins, and the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).
In 2019, she announced she would not be seeking election in 2020, “It breaks my heart in a way, but it’s time," Clarke said to WMAR-2 News. "It’s time for our district and time for Baltimore City to benefit from the next generation of a wonderful, wonderful council district.”
Keeping the Mary Pat Clarke Legacy
This past August Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and others revealed the new name for Lake Montebello Playground. It is now Council President Mary Pat Clarke Playground.
Clarke was there for the event, even taking a trip down the slide telling WMAR-2 News,
"I am forever grateful for Baltimore City and all it has meant to me personally. As a person, it is such a gift to be here for me and such a wonderful place to call home."
According to those close to Clarke, she suffered a brief illness and died peacefully surrounded by family. Her obituary states she died 9 months to the day after the death of her husband Joe. They were married 60 years.
Condolences from across Maryland
After her passing leaders from across the state shared condolences.
Governor Wes Moore stated, in part, "As the first woman to be City Council President, she broke barriers, and we are better because she raised her hand to serve. We know her legacy lives on, and our hearts are with her family and all those who were blessed to know and love her."
Councilwoman Odette Ramos called Clarke one of the greatest public servants of our time. In a statement, she wrote "Everyone in Baltimore City has their story of their relationship with Councilwoman or Council President Clarke. Residents still remember when she helped family members, slept for two nights at one of the derelict public housing projects, and fought for every neighborhood."
And Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott stated "Baltimore is a better place because she lived here and dedicated her life to serving us all."
Thank you, Mary Pat Clarke ~ June 22, 1941- November 10, 2024.