Mother Pauline Clark

Sister Pauline Clark, was the only child born to the late Paul and Maggie Mack, on July 10, 1930, in Louisville, Georgia.  Migrating to New York City at the age of 6, she and her parents settled and began their lives living on West 152nd Street in the Sugar Hill District (Harlem, NY).  She gave her life to Christ, at an early age, and became a member of Union Baptist Church, in (Harlem, NY), under the leadership of Dr. George H. Sims, Sr.   

Educated in the New York City School System, Pauline graduated with honors from Central Commercial High School (Manhattan), in 1948 where she studied Secretarial Science.  She began her post high school career as a stenographer, and medical transcriptionist, at Pratt Institute (Brooklyn).  In the early 1970s she began a new career as a civil servant, retiring in 1994 from The New York City Transit Authority, where she worked for 20 years as a Railroad Clerk.  Sister Pauline was a person who had to be active, and returned to school taking classes in Computer Science at York College (Jamaica, NY).  

She was a proud member of the Palmettes in her subdivision in Ladson, SC and loved her time as the financial secretary of her Red Hat Ladies Group, and Homeowner’s Association.  An amazing seamstress, a skill learned from her mother, she loved to sew, knit, crochet, and travel.  She was an avid reader, and loved word search puzzles, and her weekly completion of the NY Times Crossword, that she would have done in ink on every Sunday within an hour.  An outstanding cook, and baker, she poured love into the food she prepared, and it was always good!  

Sister Pauline married her Sunday School teacher’s youngest son, Frank Benjamin Clark, on December 30, 1951.  This blessed union spanned 47 years until her husband’s passing in January 1998. To that union two children, Eric and Amy were born.  She and her beloved Frank raised their small family in New York City in the borough of Queens, with her beloved parents living right next door.  

Sister Pauline and her husband who was an ordained Deacon, served faithfully in the support of ministry at the family’s home church, Antioch Baptist Church (Jamaica, NY), and Genesis Baptist Church (Jamaica, NY), under the leadership of Rev. Charles H. Ancrum, Jr.  She served as Church Clerk, while serving as well on the Gospel Chorus, and youth advisor to the Young People’s Department.  Pauline and her husband, upon retirement, started a new chapter of their lives in 1996 in Ladson, SC.  In search of a new church home, they joined First Missionary Baptist
Church (Summerville, SC), under the leadership of Dr. Willie E. Givens, Jr. They served together, in the Senior Choir, as a strong alto and smooth tenor, and were active participants in the Sunday School ministry.

Pauline’s health began to fail in fall 2017, limiting her time and commitment to those areas of service which she loved to include her beloved Sunday School (class leader), and Senior Choir.  However, her love for the Lord was not relegated to a place of worship.  She was simply a worshiper with a servant’s heart, who did not allow her mobility limitations to limit her capacity to exemplify love that transcended time, place, purpose and most definitely each person whom she met.

Sister Pauline’s health took a drastic decline in November 2022, leading to an extensive hospital stay, and a difficult battle with pneumonia exacerbated by a diagnosis of lung cancer.  Upon hearing of her health challenge ahead, she simply stated, “I guess that’s just life.”  With a tenacious spirit and warrior attitude, she never gave up and truly never ran from a fight in her life! 
It was an early morning angel’s whisper on December 17, 2022, where she laid it all down, and gently took her flight
to eternity.  

Sister Pauline is survived by her son, Eric F. Clark, and his wife Stacie of Jamaica, NY; daughter, Amy Mitchell-Washington, and her husband Hilton Washington Jr., Summerville, SC;  six- granddaughters, Ariana Mitchell (Summerville, SC), Hilary Washington (Woodbridge, VA), Miranda Mitchell (Alexandria, VA), Amari Clark (Jamaica, NY), Ameerah Clark (Jamaica, NY), and Shareka Sullivan (Goose Creek, SC); two grandsons, Maury Sullivan (Goose Creek, SC), and Jarell Clark, (Jamaica, NY); and two great-grandsons, Maury, Jr, and Mason Sullivan
(Goose Creek, SC); many relatives, and loving and cherished friends.

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