Betty J. Clarke, 81

FELTON - Betty J. Clarke of Felton died Sunday, April 15, 2007, in Bayhealth-Milford Memorial Hospital. She was 81.

Mrs. Clarke was born in Cresson, Pa., the third child of the late William Clifford and Molly I. (Sell) Miller.

She met her future husband Thomas J. Clarke when she was working at Squibb Pharmaceuticals in Trenton, N.J. They were married in her parent's home in Harrington.

Mrs. Clarke's husband was in the U.S. Army and she traveled with him when he was assigned to Japan, Alaska, New York and finally Delaware, where they settled down close to her parents and raised their family.

She started working for the civil service of the U.S. government at Dover Air Force Base in 1960 as a typist in the buyers section of the procurement office. In 1963 she left that position to be a homemaker. In 1966, she went back to work at Dover Air Force Base in the traffic management division as a claims examiner working until 1977, when she was transferred into the drafting division. In February 1980, Mrs. Clarke left the civil service to enjoy working with her husband, Thomas, raising horses on their farm. As the need for horses declined, Mrs. Clarke went back to work in traffic management in 1983, where she worked until she retired in November 1985.

In 1988 she worked for a period of time at the Modern Maturity Center, Dover, and in 1989 after her husband became ill, she wanted to work close to home so she worked for Simmons Cable, now Comcast Cable.

She was always active in some capacity in Asbury United Methodist Church, Harrington, having taught Sunday school and worked with her husband with the youth choir. In later years, few things gave her more pleasure than studying scriptures, being with her church family and watching harness racing on television.

Mrs. Clarke loved people and was generous with many folks. She felt she had been blessed with much and was always ready to help someone who was not as fortunate.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Tom, in 2005.

She is survived by two daughters and two sons-in-law, Marianne and Paul Hayes of Lewes and Cynthia and Skip Thorn of Felton; and a son, Thomas David Clarke of Felton.

The family will visit with friends from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday in Asbury United Methodist Church, 200 Weiner Ave., Harrington, where a memorial service will follow at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Instead of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Asbury United Methodist Church, 200 Weiner Ave., Harrington, DE.

Arrangements by McKnatt, Carpenter & Baker Funeral Home, 50 Commerce St., Harrington.