Nancy Jean Clark

LENOX, Mass. - Nancy Persing Clark, 86, died at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Mass., on April 28, 2018, after a sudden illness. Nancy grew up in West Stockbridge, Mass., the only daughter, born Dec. 12, 1931, to Dr. William E. and Dorothy (Nichols) Persing. She was proud to be "Doc Persing's daughter." She was predeceased by her husband, Russell Callender Clark Sr.; her parents; her brother, Rev. William Persing; and her brother, John Persing. As a young woman, Nancy Married Stewart Black. They lived in CT and raised their two children Heather and Gregory. When Nancy was in her 40s, she was divorced from her 1st husband Stewart and was working and raising her two teenage children in Connecticut. She moved back to W. Stockbridge and lived with her mother in her childhood home on Main St. It was at that time that she met Russ Clark, of Stockbridge, Mass. They met at church. Russ was widowed with three teenagers and a toddler. They fell in love, and suddenly Nancy's children of two teens, turned into five teens and a toddler! Who does that? Nancy Clark does that! Russ became the love of her life. Their devotion and respect for each other was evident to all. Together they went on many trips, including a flight to California (Russ hated flying which the family all thought was ironic as his oldest son was a pilot), a few cruises to the bahamas, and many winters in Myrtle Beach. Nancy was a woman of great pride and integrity. An avid reader, she was a wealth of information and her vocabulary was vast. Her love for country décor was evident and in abundance in the log home that she and Russ built on Smith Road in West Stockbridge. She loved to decorate and enjoyed her flower boxes and plants on her country porch. When you entered her home, the feeling was comforting and inviting. Nancy is survived by her six children: Heather (Black) Biernacki and husband Christopher, of Lenox, MA, Gregory Black and wife Aimee, of Pittsfield, MA., step children Russell Jr. and wife Nancy (Guilfoy) Clark, of Sanford, ME, Keith Clark, of Waterville, ME; Linda (Clark) Dutil and husband Brian of Waterville, ME; and Roberta (Clark) Clark and husband Brett of Housatonic, MA. She is also survived by 15 grandchildren: Melanie (James Hurley) MacLean, Ashley and husband John Crockwell, Nicholas and wife Katie (London) Dutil, Jeffrey Dutil, Kathryn (Dutil and husband Thomas Hersom, Tom and wife Christina Clark, Elaine Clark, Alistair Black, Cameron Black, Amanda Clark, Madison Clark, Autumn Biernacki, Avery Biernacki, Emberly Black, Arabella Black. Nancy is also survived by 12 great-grandchildren. Services were held Sunday, May 6 at the Lenox Methodist Church in Lenox, Mass. Burial followed at the West Stockbridge Cemetery.