HAMDEN - Elizabeth "Weebie" Mapes Clark, 97, passed away peacefully in her sleep on 10/18/2016. She was born in New Haven with an identical twin sister, Catherine, on 2/5/19 to parents Gladys Blakeslee Mapes and Col. Milton C. Mapes. Her Blakeslee ancestors dated back to the Mayflower. On 6/14/41, she married Gordon Clark, also of New Haven and a 1st Lieutenant in the Army. Following WWII, they moved to Woodbridge where they raised their 5 children; and from 1965 on they enjoyed frequent trips to their scenic mountain top farm in Vermont where they built and ran a YWCA camp for New Haven inner city children. In 1984, Elizabeth moved to Turtle Bay in Branford and then to the Whitney Center in Hamden in 2001.

She was predeceased by her husband Gordon and by her 2 brothers Milton Jr. and Rev. Richard M. Mapes.

She leaves behind her twin sister Catherine Colwell of Seattle and 5 children: Carolyn M. Clark of New Canaan, Dr. Gordon H. Clark, Jr. of Yarmouth, ME, Catherine C. Suttle of Woodbridge, CT, Elizabeth (Betsy) C. Cogan of Saratoga Springs, NY and Everett B. Clark of Denver, CO. She has 17 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

She attended the Edgewood, Sheridan and Hillhouse schools in New Haven and received her BA from Vassar College in 1941. She was a life-long volunteer for numerous organizations such as the Junior League, PTA, Brownies, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts, and she served the New Haven YWCA for over 50 years as a board member, President and delegate on the World Service Council. In addition, she was on the Boards of the New Haven Symphony, New Haven University, Interfaith Cooperative Ministries, Yale Divinity School Associates and Wider City Parish. After attending the Yale New Careers for Women Program, she accepted an internship with Mercy Center in Madison and later a position in conference planning and marketing.

She has been honored with awards for community service from the Junior League, YWCA and the Interfaith Cooperative Ministries; and at age 95, displaying an amazing combination of determination and grace, she competed in the Ms. Connecticut Senior America Pageant and so impressed the judges with her character, artistic talent (painting) and philosophy of life that she was awarded the 1st Runner-Up trophy.

She also dedicated many years of service to the First Church of Christ in Woodbridge and sang in the choir for over 55 years. Throughout her life, she was steadfast in her commitment to serving others, and she leaves behind a remarkable legacy of generosity, leadership and love.

Those who wish to remember Elizabeth in a special way may make gifts in her memory to:

The First Church of Christ Woodbridge

or

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 26th at 10:30 AM at The First Church of Christ Woodbridge. To sign the online guestbook please visit hawleylincolnmemorial.com.