Obituary of Jo Clark

Josephine “Jo” Marie Vancena Clark, of Monroe, Michigan, passed away peacefully March 14, 2021.   She was one month shy of celebrating her 93rd birthday.   She was born April 15, 1928, in Toledo to Frank & Louise (Krull) Vancena.   She was a 1946 graduate of Monroe High School.

 

Jo married the love of her life, William L. Clark September 1954.   Unfortunately, she was widowed when he tragically passed at age 46, and she never remarried.   She worked full time as a secretary to the coroner at the Monroe County Health Department from the 1950’s until retirement age in the late 1980’s. Retirement did not suit her, because soon after, she began looking for a new job, even trying a short stint at McDonalds. She finally settled on being a hostess at Bob Evans where she worked for many years before retiring for the second time. A few years later, she again went back to work demonstrating products and passing out samples in area grocery stores.

 

Jo spent her entire life caring for and stressing over those she loved most.   Her family was her world and she was their nucleus.  She shared her hobbies and passions for camping, baseball (especially the Detroit Tigers), board games, and baking (even though she was often terrible at it) with her family.

 

To those who knew her and loved her best, she was a tiny woman with a huge heart, stubborn sometimes to a fault, tenacious, zany, great sense of humor, quirky, incredibly generous, humble, huge lover of ice cream, cookies, butter and all things made from potatoes, resilient, capable and simply just one of the “Greats”.

 

Josephine leaves to cherish her memory, her two daughters, Patricia (Brent) Foster and Susan Soldwish; loving granddaughters, Michele (Steve) Foster-Ingels, Jodi (Tarantej) Chana, Brandi (Kyle) Taylor, Cassandra (Justin) Nickey, and Courtney (Matt) Wellman; adoring great grandchildren, Rachel and William Ingels, Jayle, Jessica, Jaycie, and Jordan Wolfenbarger, Neela and Rajinder Chana, Adison, Boone, Rhett and Crew Taylor, Christian and Natalie Wellman, Charli and Henry Nickey and two great-great grandchildren, Kobie and Zuzanna.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by four brothers: Frank, Louis, William and Vincent Vancena; her dear sister Angeline Bosio; an infant granddaughter, Celeste Soldwish and two infant great grandchildren, Brandon Ingels and Kayden Chana.

 

In accordance to Josephine’s wishes, no public services will be held. A private family celebration of life will be held at a later date. Merkle Funeral Service, North Monroe, 2442 North Monroe Street, Monroe, Michigan 48162 (734) 384-5185 is assisting the family with cremation and burial at St. Charles Cemetery.

For anyone wanting to make a memorial donation in her memory, it was Josephine’s request to support the American Heart Association.   Online guests may visit www.merklefs.com.