Maureen Burke Clarke

October 6, 1931 - June 23, 2023

Maureen (Mary Burke) Clarke passed away peacefully on Friday, June 23, 2023 in Concord, California. She will be remembered for her keen intelligence, love of learning, sense of adventure and philanthropic pursuits. Those who knew her well will fondly recall her rare common sense, which she never hesitated to express.

Maureen was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Patrick Raymond (“Ray”) Burke and Magdalen (Denessen) Burke. She had four brothers: Robert R. (deceased), John P., Timothy J. and James P. Burke.

She graduated from

St. Joseph High School in Green Bay. She then earned a degree in Mathematics from Fontbonne College in Saint Louis, Missouri.

During her time in Saint Louis, she met her husband – Francis Clarke, Jr. They married at Saint Mathew’s Church in Allouez, Wisconsin in 1953. They were married for 67 years, until Francis’s passing in 2020.

Maureen was one of the very early computer programmers in the aerospace field. Her career included positions with the Martin Aircraft Company in Baltimore MD, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA JPL) in Pasadena CA and the Aerospace Corporation in San Bernardino CA. After taking time off to raise her family, she reentered the workplace as the Senior Computer Scientist at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute in San Francisco CA. She retired in 1997.

Her interests were farranging. After retirement, she travelled extensively by air, automobile and ship. She was passionate about opera and attended performances all over the world. She donated her time, money and room in her home in support of the San Francisco Opera and its young members. She was also very active in the San Francisco Orchid Society.

The San Francisco Merola Opera Program is dedicating the August 2023 Schwabacher Summer Concert series to Maureen’s memory.

Maureen is survived by her son Francis III (“Frank”, “Fred”), daughter-in-law Rosemary, son Raymond, daughter-in-law Lucila, son Theodore (“Ted”), daughter Sarah, daughter Charlotte Lawless, and son-in-law Greg Lawless. She had nine grandchildren: Francis (“Brian”, “Frank”) (deceased), Katie and Kevin Clarke; Daniel, Stephanie and Kristina Clarke; and Anthony, Margo and Brendan Lawless. Her great-granddaughters are Lily, Daisy and Charlie Clarke.

Her funeral service will be held Wednesday, July 12 at 11:00 AM at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. Her ashes will be interred in the family plot in St. Louis Cemetery #3 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the San Francisco Opera in Maureen’s name.