Constance "Connie" Marie Clarke

Constance Marie Conlon Clarke

Connie was born on November 18, 1944, and anyone who knew Connie will know better than to ever forget it! She loved to remind everyone well in advance that it was her birthday month. She often joked that she was sending out reminders and invitations. She loved to have a party with all the family around her!

She was born in Brooklyn, NY to Jack and Grace Conlon. She was the middle child of three daughters. Connie was a tomboy growing up and loved to go out on her own and explore and get into trouble. As a teenager she often had multiple dates lined up in one night!  She grew up playing sports and especially loved soccer and racquetball, and had a wicked power serve!

Connie lived an interesting life filled with interesting people including models, celebrities, and many friends. She loved to tell stories about her adventures from when she was younger, but her favorite place to be was with her family. She was devoted to her two sons Keith and Brad and would defend them like a mama bear!  She loved taking her 7 grandkids shopping, riding the carousel, playing school, or writing stories. Traveling to the coast or the mountains with her sweetheart Dale was among her favorite things to do.

She met and married her true love, Dale Clarke, in July 1982. New York socialite and small-town Idaho were an interesting combination and they complemented each other well. It was an unexpected love for them both and they were truly each other’s “person”. They were sealed together in the LDS temple in 2005. They spent more than 42 years together living an adventurous life until cancer slowed them down 15 years ago. 

Connie loved people! Anywhere she went, she made friends out of strangers, learned people’s life stories, made people laugh and did what she could to help. She had an amazing sense of humor and loved to talk to people. Even during the last few years, she made friends with all her nurses and joked with her doctors. They often said they loved it when it was a “Connie Day”.

Taking photos, decorating, collecting fun things, and teaching were some of Connie’s passions. She worked throughout her life as a model, a real estate agent, an apartment manager, a decorator, and a retail store manager; but her favorite job of all was teaching.  She worked a few years prior to retiring as a teacher’s assistant at the Utah School for the Deaf and was incredible with the kids. They felt her love and excitement and were inspired to do their best and beyond.

Connie was raised catholic, but later joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She always maintained a close and personal relationship with her Savior and spoke to Him often.

Connie graduated from this earth (as she liked to say) on April 1st, 2024. She was preceded in death by her son Bradley Kopelson and one sister, Laurie Bremer.

Her husband Dale Clarke, son Keith (Nicki) Kopelson, 7 grandkids (Ashley, Kenneth, Alex, Jack, Sami, Max and Emilee), 3 great grandkids, her sister Diane and lots of other family and friends will miss her dearly.

She will be interred in Rexburg, Idaho.

Please share your memories of Connie on her tribute wall.