On July 8, 2023, surrounded by her loving family, a host of angels gently escorted Mrs. Geraldine W. Clark to her Heavenly home. The celestial journey was a lifetime in the making, and the starlit cosmic path from Earth to the Everlasting Kingdom was dotted with flashes of an abundant life overflowing with love, service, commitment, joy, and blessings.

Born to the late John H. and Madlyn White on April 10, 1932, Geraldine attended elementary and high school in Lynchburg, VA. She received a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education in 1953 from West Virginia State College and further studied at Hampton University, The University of Lynchburg, and Lynchburg College.

Geraldine's academic endeavors laid the foundation for a 38-year teaching career, which began in 1953 when she became a Health and Physical Education Teacher at Campbell County High School in Rustburg, Virginia. Events related to the Civil Rights Movement briefly interrupted her professional pursuits, but in 1971, she entered the Appomattox School System in the same capacity, and reached a career milestone in 1972, when she was listed in "Who's Who Among Outstanding Elementary School Teachers in America." Her educational contributions were so profound that the student body and her fellow co-workers at the middle school where she spent the majority of her career later honored her for three consecutive years by naming her "Teacher of the Year."

Geraldine's impact extended beyond the classroom, and the Lord used her acts of service and generosity to bless the community. Whether it was working on church projects, visiting the elderly, delivering Meals on Wheels, taking children to buy school supplies, or serving in the church, her presence made a positive difference. Indeed, as a pillar of the Jackson Street United Methodist Church, her 84 years of membership left a mark on various ministries, to include three church choirs, the Usher Board (75+ years), where she also was Director of the children's Usher Board, the Finance Committee, the Administrative Board (Chairman), Umbrella Club, Hospitality Committee, and her own "Organization Ministry," where she made sure everything—from the supplies in the storage closets to the hymns in the pews—was in place. Other organizational affiliations included Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Lynchburg Chapter of Chums, Life membership in the National Retired Teachers' Association, Life membership in the NAACP, and service on the Board of Directors of the White Rock Cemetery, Inc.

Geraldine's life work was impressive, and, in her quiet moments, she found great pleasure in reading books, especially from the Best Seller's list; working crossword puzzles; coloring-both manually and on her tablet; and canning and picking her garden's yield, a hobby best reserved for the summer months. But her most durable legacy was an outgrowth of the matrimonial love that she shared with the late W.E. Clark, III—an unbreakable bond that was sealed for eternity on a winter day in December 1955. The manifestation of that relationship—which set Geraldine on a path of nurturing, mothering, and exemplifying maternal sacrifice—has flowed through the generations to ensure the indelibility of her lesson. The Matriarch of the family; mother to son, Wayne Eric Clark (Mary) and daughter, Tonya Tuawan Clark-Trotman (Hugo); grandmother to Camden Wayne Clark and Carden Marie Clark; great-grandmother to Amelia Rene'e Clark-Black, Arlander Cherry, IV, and Andre Elijah Clark-Black; and mother figure to countless other individuals over the years, to include Nauvata Frederick, Miranda Payne, Tuawana Braxton, Audrey Dillard Hines, Neasy Holmes, Jackie Booker, and Nelson and Linda Pankey.

While Geraldine was preceded in death by her husband and sister, Madlyn W. Ridley-Fisher, she leaves to cherish her loving memory the aforementioned family; her sister, Phyllis Palmer; brothers, John H. White (Lesbia) and David Megginson; and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

As Geraldine takes her place in the presence of the Savior, the beauty of her life becomes increasingly clear. She was known to be a giver, and her motto was "You don't give because you have…you have because you give!" Other lessons were equally powerful: keep your loved ones close, maintain a sense of humor even in the darkest of times, act on your own terms, remain faithful to your purpose, rejoice in memories, and lean on the power of quiet strength. These insights will be the legacy that remains with us forever.

A memorial service will be held at 12:00 PM Saturday, July 22, 2023, at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church. Service of comfort rendered by Davis-Turner Funeral Service.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made on behalf of Mrs. Clark to Jackson Street United Methodist Church, 901 Jackson St., Lynchburg, VA 24504.