Charles Edward Clarke, 98, died peacefully at his home on Sunday, July 26th.

Born December 3rd, 1921 to Edward Bryan Clarke and Anne Henderson Clarke, Charlie felt
called to be a physician from a young age. He graduated with highest honors from Princeton
University in 1944, and from the University of Pittsburgh Medical School in 1946. He began
practicing medicine as a Captain in the U.S. Army, stationed in the Philippines. He
corresponded with his sweetheart, Cecelia Mamaux, and proposed to her by radio telephone
— “my one and only romantic gesture”, he often said. He also credited his lifelong friend, Dr.
Carmelo Ranii, with giving him the confidence to make the call. (She accepted.)

Charlie returned to Pittsburgh and served patients at Presbyterian, Passavant, and Mercy
Hospitals. He also commuted many hours every week to the Medical Clinic created by the
United Mineworkers Union, a job he loved. In 1960, another dear friend and colleague, Dr.
James Crittenden, persuaded Charlie to move from Shadyside to Sewickley, where he joined
the staff of Sewickley Valley Hospital. He soon joined the founding members of the Critmore
Medical Building, where patients knew that Dr. Clarke would always have as much time as they
needed, and, if they found themselves in hospital, that he would be there for them no matter
what time of day or night. He was a consummate diagnostician —- one of his colleagues
remarked that “whenever we have a really difficult diagnosis, we call Charlie Clarke.” But
Charlie also understood that much of medicine is caring, and paying attention, and listening.

Charlie and his wife of 58 years raised five daughters and a steady crew of mostly found/
rescued dogs in their home on Academy Avenue. Charlie typically worked 70-80 hours each
week, yet somehow made school props and costumes, repaired anything and everything in the
house, and cared for his beloved garden. One of his favorite stories was of the day a
uniformed driver stopped in front of the house as Charlie was tending the pachysandra, and
announced that Mr. X would like to speak to him. Charlie walked to the car, expecting a
medical question from Mr. X, who was his patient. Instead, the man said, “I admire the work
you do on this yard. Do you have any spare time?” 

Charlie had an ironclad rule against “annuals in the front yard”, but in spring, summer, and fall,
the backyard bloomed and bloomed. He raised most of his flowers from seeds, which he
carefully tended under a temporary greenhouse otherwise stored in the rafters of the garage.

He was a voracious reader. For his 21st birthday, his parents sent him a check, and he
preserved the list of 27 books- and the books — he bought with that check. He continued to
acquire books his entire life; they overflowed the shelves onto tables and chairs and the floor.
He and Ceil also filled the house with thousands of vinyl records; the music hardly ever
stopped.

Charlie was a truly convivial man, but he joined the Edgeworth Club for his daughters. He was
endlessly pleased as they played tennis and squash, and swam, joined bowling leagues,
learned to dance, performed in musicals. Likewise, he joined the Sewickely Heights Golf Club
at the request of his brother, Robert.

Charlie never wanted to retire. He regularly said “I want to die with my boots on, doing rounds
at the hospital.” Not to be — on December 31st, 2012, he left his office at the Critmore
Building for the last time. He continued to work in his garden for another five years, until the
problem of getting UP became too difficult. He continued to manage the planting and tending,
as well as the care and feeding of birds, from his chair in the breakfast room.

He also read his medical journals, cover to cover, until the end.

Charlie’s treasured wife Cecelia died on April 26th, 2006. His cherished daughter Katherine
died on September 9th, 2004. He is survived by his daughters Anne Clarke Ronce, Constance
Clarke, Cecelia Clarke, and Victoria Clarke and her husband Brian Graham, his grandchildren
Colin, Devan, and Charles Graham, and his beloved brother Andrew Clarke.

In his last weeks on earth, Charlie was cared for by his dear friend and colleague, Dr. Chris
O’Donnell and the staff of Good Samaritan Hospice. His peaceful passing would not have
been possible without the devoted care of nurse’s aide Jenny McConahy, family friend D’Ann Kaib, and son-in-law to be Reza Zadfar.