CATHERINE HURLEY CLARK,

of Green Valley, died at the age of 82 at Christus Hospital St. Elizabeth in Beaumont, Texas, on Thursday, April 30, 2009.

Born in Fall River, Mass. July 10, 1926, Catherine received her B.S. in pharmacy from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy 1945. She obtained an M.S. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in 1947 at Purdue University where she assisted in early research in the way bones absorb radioactive substances, which led to the development of cancer detection and treatment methods still in use today.

In 1947, Catherine married her husband of 55 years, Forrest David Clark, and accompanied him as he was assigned to work in oil refineries in South America and Asia. When her children were grown, she attended the Saddleback College of Nursing at Mission Viejo, Calif. and was licensed as a registered nurse in 1982.

She worked as an emergency room nurse, and after she retired, volunteered for many years at the United Community Health Center and the Carondelet Hospice, both in Green Valley. Until the time of her death she utilized her language and nursing skills by assisting the staff with intake at St. Andrew’s Children’s Clinic in Nogales a free clinic for disabled children from Mexico.

Catherine was elected in 2002 to a term on the GVR Board of Directors. A Silver Life Master, Catherine was serving in her 20th year as Manager of the Green Valley Duplicate Bridge Club. She was a monitor at the GVR fitness center and was active in Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, having recently been elected to the parish council.

Catherine is survived by her brother Daniel Hurley and his wife Eleanor; sister Patricia Williamson and her husband James; sister Julia Plotnick; her son and daughter-in-law Ronald and Joanna Clark; daughter and son-in-law Patricia and John Long. Her grandchildren are David Clark and his wife Kimberly, Kevin Clark, William Long, and Catherine Long; and her great-grandson is Devlin Clark. She is also survived by 17 nieces and nephews and 14 great-nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Forrest; brother Richard Hurley; and sister Marie Sherman.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in Green Valley.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made either to the Catherine Hurley Clark Scholarship in Nursing, at Lamar University (Donations may be made payable to Lamar University Foundation and mailed to PO Box 11500, Beaumont, TX 77710); or to St. Andrews Children’s Clinic, P.O. Box 67, Green Valley, AZ 85622-9975.

Complete and updated information may be viewed at www.broussardsmortuary.com.