Obituary: Barbara Ann Foley Clark
Maine Family Matriarch Barbara Ann Foley Clark Passes at 94
Portland, Maine – Barbara Ann Foley Clark, a lifelong Portland resident and cherished family matriarch, died Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, at her home surrounded by her loved ones.
Born on Sept. 13, 1931, in Portland to Philip J. and Annie Conley Foley, Barbara grew up in a close‑knit household that celebrated her Irish heritage. Her parents, immigrants from Galway, instilled in her a deep pride in their roots, and she carried that pride throughout her life, cherishing Irish stories, music and family traditions.
After completing grammar school at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, Barbara graduated from Cathedral High School in 1949. She began her career as a reporter with the Portland Press Herald, later becoming a stewardess for American Airlines. The job took her across the globe, but it was in New York where she met her future husband, James Lee Clark, a cadet at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. The couple wed on Sept. 1, 1956, in Portland and remained together for 55 years until Jim’s passing earlier this year.
Their life was one of constant movement—New York, Puerto Rico, New Jersey, Louisiana and Georgia—yet they made it a priority to return to Maine each summer to be with Barbara’s extended family. A devoted Catholic, she was a communicant of St. Dominic’s and a long‑time member of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Alpharetta, where she participated in a small faith group for nearly forty years. Her faith guided her through life’s joys and trials, and she found comfort in prayer, the Rosary, Mass and the sense of community at her church.
Barbara’s passions were as varied as her travels. She was a lifelong fan of Notre Dame football, enjoyed British murder mystery novels, and had a sweet tooth for chocolate. Above all, she was a proud mother and great‑grandmother, delighting in her children’s and grandchildren’s milestones. Her family—spanning three generations—remembers her as the heart of their gatherings, a source of unconditional love and wisdom.
Her children survive her: Carol A. Clark, Patricia M. Clark, James L. Clark Jr., Anne Marie Salamone (Vincenzo), Philip F. Clark (Nancy), Alexandra Clark Burris (Christopher), and Christian B. Clark (Julia). She also leaves behind grandchildren Kerrie Salamone, Stephanie Graves (Ronald), Ernesto Salamone (Kimberly Moore), Maria Quattrucci (Frankie), Juliana Salamone (Nicholas Volger), Raffaele Salamone (Jillian), Colin Clark, Claire Clark, Aidan Burris and Caitlyn Burris, and great‑grandchildren Francesca Salamone, Vincenzo Quattrucci, Josephine Graves, Francis Quattrucci, Antonia Quattrucci, with a baby on the way due in spring 2027. Her brother, John J. Foley, is also survived. She was pre‑deceased by her husband Jim, her siblings and their spouses, and several nephews.
Friends and family will honor Barbara’s life with a memorial service on Thursday, Oct. 1, from 5‑8 p.m. at Roswell Funeral Home, 950 Mansell Road, Roswell, Georgia. A Christian burial Mass will follow at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 535 Rucker Road, Alpharetta, on Friday, Oct. 2 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made to St. Vincent de Paul in Barbara’s memory.
Barbara’s legacy lives on in the laughter of her grandchildren, the stories of her Irish roots, and the countless lives she touched with her warmth, faith and steadfast devotion to family. Her memory will be held close by all who knew her.
