It is with great saddness that we write to let all of you know
that Richmond Ferret Rescue League has lost a wonderful, and truly
remarkable ferret mom, shelter mom, and truly remarkable friend, all
rolled into one. Nancy Louise Clarke, age 49, went home to be with the
Lord on Monday, November 20, 2006.
She was born in Doylestown, Pa., and resided in Enon, Va. She was
preceded in death by her father, Walter A. Landis. Nancy practiced as
an LPN at John Randolph nursing home in Hopewell, Va. Nancy loved being
a nurse for over 23 years until she lost her hearing and almost her
life from the treatment of breast cancer and could not work anymore.
She left this world in her loving husband's arms. Everyone should have
love and bonding as strong as that. This was the kind of love that
great books were written for, you rarely saw one without the other.
Nancy attended Central Bucks West High School where she fell in love
with her best friend, John Russell Clarke, in 1973. Russ and Nancy were
high school sweethearts for over 30 years. The funny thing was they
were complete opposites, a lot of people said it would never last;
but God blessed and prospered them. Russ and Nancy brought home their
adopted son, Joey, on October 11, 1980, and since have celebrated that
day as family day for 26 years.
In 1995, Nancy was diagnosed with breast cancer on the right side. She
took chemotherapy and buckled down, and she and Rusty both walked in
the fire knowing that the Lord was with them. All the experts told them
both that she would never recover, but they didn't know the same God
Rusty and Nancy know and love. Well as the true story goes, the enemy
did his dirty work. Nancy went septic and fell into a coma. When she
awoke, she had no hearing and no eye sight with over 20 aneurisms in
her brain. The doctors did everything they could to save her and
finally gave in. Rusty and Nancy never gave up. They trusted in God's
word, and she came through almost three weeks later. The Lord came
through and gave them another 10 years together.
Nancy grew up on her family's dairy farm in Plumsteadsville, Pa., and
had great love for God's animals. After her first ordeal with cancer,
she was left with 85% hearing loss and a very low immune system that
kept her down. Nancy attended classes to study animal rehab and small
animal care. Friends started calling their home the Clarke zoo. Poor
Russ never knew what to expect coming home. Mrs. Doolittle, as some
people called her, often times would have baby raccoons, opossums and
baby rabbits under her care. One day there was a full grown bald eagle
in their bathtub that Joey and Cliff brought home during a 20 inch
snow storm. In church she loved to volunteer for nursery duty because
she could not hear them screaming.
There are so many things to tell and not enough paper to write on; so
please don't forget my personal angel, Nancy Clarke. She is survived
by her husband, John R. Clarke; a son, Joseph R. Clarke of Hopewell,
Va.; mother, Miriam Ewing of Horsham, Pa.; three brothers, Walter A.
Landis Jr. and wife, Kathy of Quakertown, Pa., James Landis of
Plumsteadville, Pa., and David Landis and wife, Phalla of Horsham, Pa.
Family members will receive friends at the J.T. Morriss and Son Funeral
Home and Cremation Service on Friday, November 24, 2006, from 6 to
8 p.m. Services will follow at the Cornerstone Assembly of God in
Richmond, Va., Saturday, November 25, 2006, at 1 p.m. Interment will
follow in Bermuda Memorial Park, Bermuda, Virginia. Contributions may
be made to the Richmond Ferret Rescue League in memory of Nancy L.
Clarke, 14206 Bermuda Ave., Chester, Va. 23836, in care of Mr. John
R. Clarke. Condolences may be registered at http://www.jtmorriss.com
[Posted in FML 5439]
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