Longtime Spokane philanthropist Mari Clack dies at 89: ‘Absolutely world class’

Mari Clack, a champion for women and children in Spokane, died Saturday, leaving behind a lifelong legacy in advocacy. She was 89.

Clack moved to Spokane with her husband, David Clack, soon after completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington in 1958.

Clack was active with public radio, Planned Parenthood, YWCA and the Democratic Party, according to her obituary. She also co-founded the Women Helping Women Fund and served on the Ronald McDonald House board of directors and multiple advisory boards at UW.

“She was just a going machine,” recalled David, to whom she was married for 64 years. “She was so concerned about women’s capabilities to get ahead and to do things, and she was dedicated to women and children.”

Later, she and her husband, the former chairman and CEO of Old National Bancorporation, served as major supporters of the UW Medical School in Spokane and hosted white coat ceremonies. They started the Friends of WWAMI Spokane to provide financially and emotionally for local medical students . The WWAMI Medical Education Program extends the UW medical education to Spokane, as well as Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. The UW program in Spokane partners with Gonzaga University.

“Mari will always be remembered for her infectious, positive energy, her longstanding support of initiatives that genuinely changed lives for the better, and the deeply personal connections she developed with so many people,” Gonzaga University President Emeritus Thayne McCulloh wrote in a statement. “Mari cared about the people of our community, especially the most vulnerable, and she channeled that care into meaningful activism.”

She was recognized on numerous occasions, including as a recipient of the Spokane Community Impact Award, the National Park and Recreation Association State Citizen Board Member Service Award, Gonzaga University Connecting Women with Women Award, Seattle Times’ 100 Most Influential People in Washington State, Junior League of Spokane Outstanding Sustainer Award, and Planned Parenthood of Spokane’s Margaret Sanger Award.

“Mari Clack, with her husband Dave, was a fierce champion of access to medical education and care in Eastern Washington. As a civic leader, volunteer and community organizer, she was a powerful force,” University of Washington President Emerita Ana Mari Cauce said in a statement.

Spokane City Council President Betsy Wilkerson said through tears Monday how much Clack meant to her.

”I got to know Mari Clack when I joined the Women Helping Women Foundation, and I had done some volunteer work in the community,” Wilkerson said. “As a Black woman in that space, there were many places I had never gone before. Mari took me and, in the early days, she actually paid for me to attend some of the events that I would have never been exposed to. Over the years, she continued to play an important part in my life.”

Wilkerson noted that while Clack was recognized for her progressive efforts, her husband was more conservative.

“She was never in the political spotlight, but let me tell you, she was politically active.”

She credits Clack for the sense of empowerment she instilled in her.

“Sometimes it takes other people to see something in you that you don’t see in yourself, and whatever that was, Mari saw in me. For that, I’ll be forever thankful.”

Beyond her advocacy work, David said Mari was an avid reader – a passion that started as a young child.

“Her father was a doctor, and she got up every morning at 5 a.m. to be with him while he was reading,” he said. “That habit continued on, so in our married life, the biggest recreational expenditure we had every year was Mari’s purchase of books.”

She would start and finish a book daily during the morning hours, and the Clacks planned semi-annual trips to Goodwill to donate the “150 books” that were mounting, David said.

The books were yet another opportunity for her to be aware and engaged, he added.

“She truly enjoyed being involved. That’s about the best description I can give you about Mari.”

Jim Clack, her son, said this involvement often included him and his sister.

“That gave us an opportunity to see how much she did and how much she cared,” he recalled. “She was just great at identifying people’s talent and appreciating their hard work. The other thing I think is that she was fantastic at giving credit and appreciation to others.”

One defining trait of her work was a pursuit of “equality.” In her tenure as president of Planned Parenthood, Jim said, her goal was not to push the controversial subject of abortion. Instead, she promoted increasing awareness about “abstinence, intimacy and parenthood,” something that earned her support from liberals and conservatives alike, he said.

Clack leaves behind a legacy of change and a family for whom her care was “absolutely world class,” David described.

“The time we had together was as good as it gets.”