Obituary of Rosalie Celia Clarke

Rosalie Celia Clarke passed away peacefully early Monday morning, February 1st, at her home in Malta, NY. 

Rosalie is survived by Greg, her husband of 68 years and a day, their daughters, Cathy (Steve), and Jude (Tony), a multitude of nieces, nephews, and an even bigger horde of great friends.  She is predeceased by her parents Roy and Rosalia, her in laws, George and Christine; 11 brothers and sisters and their spouses, her sister in law, Jackie, many nieces and nephews, and one grandson, Michael.

Rosalie was born October 23, 1932 in East Boston, Massachusetts, and the youngest of 12 children, 9 of whom saw adulthood.  She was a keen student and graduated from East Boston High School (where, while working in the principal’s office, she once met then Senator John F. Kennedy).  She briefly considered joining the convent, but eventually chose another path.

Rosalie married Greg Clarke on January 31st, 1953.  Together they built a home in West Buxton, Maine, made many friends (as they do), and began to raise their daughters. Greg’s work brought them to their home in Charlton, New York in 1966, where they spent the next 40 some years.  She and Greg joined the Pick’n’ and Sing’n’ Gather’n, Inc. in the late 1960’s and have been among its’ most stalwart members for over 50 years. Through the PSG, both Greg and Rosalie have made lifelong friends into a second family.  Rosalie’s love for God, her family, her neighbors, everybody’s children, her friends, and most all with whom she came in contact, made their home an organized, well stocked haven, and THE place for many a party. Her quick wit, along with her potato salad, wine cake, pies, and apple squares, are the stuff of legend. 

Rosalie enjoyed writing cards to acknowledge birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones. She always had the right card, and her rolodex was bursting with names, dates and addresses.  From childhood, Rosalie loved to dance; whether jitterbugging with her brothers in the living room, Zumba with the Silver Sneakers, square dancing with the Highland Squares, or waltzing with Greg - start the music and her feet would move. After selling the house and moving to Malta, Rosalie, always a committed Catholic, joined the Corpus Christi Congregation, where she soon made herself known as a woman of strong faith and compassion, serving on the pastoral care committee (as she put her affinity for sending cards to God’s use).  Rosalie was integral to preserving Saratoga’s Caffe Lena and in creating the cultural mecca it is today. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Corpus Christi Church in Clifton Park on February 11th at 10 AM. Friends and relatives are welcomed to attend or view the live-streamed service on the Church Facebook page. 

Memorial contributions may be made to a COVID Relief charity of your choice or to Caffe Lena Inc. 47 Phila Street , P.O. Box 245, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Online condolences may be made at glenvillefuneralhome.com