Evelyn Deanne “Dee” Denniston Clark, 81

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NATICK – Evelyn Deanne “Dee” Denniston Clark July 8, 1941 – January 1, 2023 

Dee Clark, A long-time Natick resident, beloved mother, devoted friend, and active community member passed away peacefully while embraced by the love and support of her family at the Elizabeth Seton Residence in Wellesley. She is predeceased by her parents, Dean Kimball Denniston Sr, and her mother Robert Greyar Denniston.

Dee was born in Montezuma, Georgia before moving to Boston with her parents when she was a little girl. She began losing her sight while in the second grade but, despite being legally blind, she lived a life without compromise. Dee was a proud graduate of Boston Latin Academy and Northeastern University where she earned both a bachelors and master’s degree. While in college, she was employed at The Nickerson Home, MSPCC where she met her husband Bill. They lived in Tyngsboro for four years before they settled into the town of Natick to raise their family.

For years Dee played Bridge on Mondays with her close friends, she belonged to several book groups, and she loved spending time socializing at Morse Tavern and Han Dynasty. While raising four children in a loving home, she would find time to serve on the elementary school PTA, volunteer in the school library, and serve as a lunch room monitor in the Lincoln School cafeteria. During her kid’s elementary school years, she and three of her friends formed an acoustic guitar quartet called Ritz & Water and performed along with their children in front of local audiences. A few years later, Dee decided to return to the workforce and eventually found her calling working for the Red Cross where she supervised support groups for people impacted by HIV/AIDS. 

Anyone who ever attended a party, wedding, barbecue, or any other kind of social event with Dee would agree that her presence made every occasion so much more enjoyable. Dee loved to dance and sing, and her musical tastes spanned a wide range of genres. She was always the first person on the dance floor, and the last one to leave. Dee was an avid Boston sports fan and she followed the local teams religiously. She was thrilled in 2004 when the Red Sox broke the curse of the Bambino, but she was even more ecstatic five years ago when she took home the championship in her fantasy football league. 

Dee was a connector. She introduced her friends from work and her childhood to the Natick “Strawberry Hill Neighborhood” friends of her adult years to form an even larger social cohort. Dee was a tremendous host on holidays, birthdays, and celebrations of any kind. She was a friend to anyone who entered her world, and she felt fortunate to have so many special people who cared deeply for her. Dee was a second mother, a keeper of secrets, a shoulder to cry on, and a trusted sage.

First and foremost, Dee was a mother and an amazing one at that. She raised her kids to be kind, hard-working, tough, adventurous, and to be the best friends they could be. No one gave better advice on how to handle the ups and downs of childhood and adolescence than her. There was no greater advocate, cheerleader, and champion behind the scenes for her children  than Dee. It didn’t seem possible for her already vast capacity for love to grow any greater, but the joy she experienced when she became a grandmother was beyond measure. She was never happier than when she was spending time with her six grandchildren. 

Dee was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. She will be sorely missed by her husband, William R. Clark, her four children William D. (Chip) Clark and his wife Mila of Dover, MA. Christopher D. (Topher) Clark of Portland, Oregon, Jonathan G. Clark of Braintree, MA and Julie K. Caldwell and her husband Daniel of Milford, MA. She was a devoted sister to Dean Kimball Dennison Jr of Brookline, Donald Denniston of Boston, and a proud grandmother to Michael, Brayden, Isabella, Jake, Cal and Alani and aunt to several nieces and nephews. 

A memorial service will be held at the John Everett and Sons Funeral Home 4 Park Street in Natick on Saturday, January 7th at 3pm with a local reception following services.

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