Ouida Raphiel Clark
1926-2017
Our wonderful mother, devoted grandmother, and committed friend, Ouida Raphiel Clark, passed away while surrounded by family on Wednesday morning April 12, 2017 at the age of 90. She was born in Campti, Louisiana on November 16, 1926 to Robert Leroy Raphiel and Inez Frederick Raphiel who cherished her as their youngest daughter.
As a child she was adored by all of her siblings for being so full of character and was the "baby" of the family at ten years younger than her next oldest sibling. Ouida loved telling stories about growing up in Louisiana, and all who heard her were quickly captivated by the amount of detail and animation that she would put into each story.
At the young age of 16, Ouida bravely made a solitary trek from Louisiana to Utah to attend BYU, where she would study literature. She worked diligently and successfully earned her Bachelor's degree while independently supporting herself throughout her education. She strongly valued a higher education and encouraged all of her children and grandchildren to pursue intellectual endeavors.
In a poetry class in the summer of 1946, Ouida met Bruce Budge Clark and fell in love. They were married shortly thereafter in the Salt Lake Temple on November 7, 1946. Ouida and Bruce celebrated 60 years of marriage together and had six children: Lorraine Skarda, Bradley Clark, Robert Clark, Jeffrey Clark, Shawn Clark, and Sandy Clark. Ouida loved her family very much and devoted the majority of her life in service to them.
Ouida is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and willingly shared her time and talents in a lifetime of service to others. Among her many callings, she served as a temple worker and a Relief Society president, both of which she put her heart and soul into. She was always willing to lend a helping hand wherever she could and consistently put the needs of others before her own.
Ouida was preceded in death by her eldest son, Bradley Clark, and her husband, Bruce Budge Clark. Her beautiful life will forever be cherished by her five surviving children (and spouses), 22 grandchildren (and spouses), and numerous great-grandchildren that she left behind.
A viewing will be held from 12:30 pm- 1:45 pm on Saturday, April 15, 2017 in the Relief Society room at the LDS church on 1700 S 400 E in Orem. The funeral service will immediately follow at 2:00 pm in the chapel. At the conclusion of the funeral, a procession will lead the way to the Orem City Cemetery where a graveside service will be conducted.