Mary Anita Hemmerle

Mary Anita (Clark Patrick) Hemmerle, 91, died Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Hyland Hills Senior Living Facility in Westminster, Colorado surrounded by family. A bright light has left us.

Mary was born in Ajo, Arizona on August 30, 1934, to Robert Sylvester Clark and Lillian Frances Morrison. She attended St. Mary’s School in Colorado Springs from from 1st grade to through high school. She graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Colorado Springs on May 28, 1952. During her years at St. Mary’s, she was the 1952 Homecoming Queen, a Lady in Waiting to the 1952 Mardi Gras Queen, part of the crew for the 1951 production of “Cracked Nutts”, and in the 1950 May Crowning Court.

After she graduated from St. Mary’s High School, she worked at the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company as an order writer in Colorado Springs for 2 years, Pueblo Catholic Charities as a secretary in the adoptions department, and at Jackson Lake Lodge in Wyoming.

Mary enrolled at Pueblo Junior College in 1954 and graduated on June 8, 1956, with an associate in arts degree in Elementary Education. She completed her student teaching at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Pueblo and enjoyed her time with the children. Mary was very active at Pueblo Junior College. She belonged to Sigma Pi Alpha, an Honorary Society for Foreign Language Students, Varsity Sioux, a women’s organization which supported school activities, Theta Beta Pi, a social society, and was the secretary for the Foreign Language Club. She was the 1956 Homecoming Queen. It was during her time at Pueblo Junior College when she met, fell in love, and married Roy Patrick. They were married on August 25, 1956, in St. Mary’s Cathedral in Colorado Springs. Although they divorced on May 16, 1988, they had a special place in their hearts for each other. On June 24, 1989, she married Eugene Hemmerle and they were divorced on September 9, 2004. Mary and Gene were fortunate to travel to Liechtenstein, Austria, and Mexico during their time together.

Mary always worked. She had many part-time and short-term jobs. She was a Census worker, worked at the Denver Federal Center in the Genealogy Department, in the Northglenn Kindergarten group, at Lehrer’s Flowers, and at the New Horizons School for Retarded Children and as a salesclerk at J.C. Penney’s. Her primary job was at Tri-State Generation and Transmission in Westminster, a wholesale electrical power supplier, for 20 years. She retired in 1995 as a Systems Planning Clerk. She loved all her jobs and the people she worked with. She always said she was not lucky, but so fortunate!

Mary belonged to various groups of interest to her such as: Jaycee-ettes; a Genealogy Club; Rose Society; a Miniature Club; Heavenly Daze Bible Study; Colorado Mountain Club; Book Club; Cub Scout leader; and Girl Scout leader. She almost always belonged to an exercise group or exercised on her own at various gyms or walked or mountain hiked. She loved going to the mountains to walk amongst the wildflowers. Mary was a voracious reader. She loved to read several newspapers every day from front to back and cut out articles to share. She would always have a book she was reading, with several more ready to start. For 12 years, she belonged to her Silver Sneakers group at the Broomfield Senior Center and attended 3 times a week. They called themselves the Back Row Bodacious Broads of Broomfield. Along with the exercise, there was social involvement. She loved both. Her group of friends had lunch after the exercise class at the Senior Center. They were always the last ones to leave because they were so busy talking, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. They also met for lunch once a month at Applebee’s and once a month at each of their homes. They liked lunch! She was an incredible gardener. She designed a stunning garden at her home in Niwot and another beautiful garden at her home in Westminster. She was always curious, creative, loved to sing songs, be silly, and laugh at herself. She was well known to commandeer a certain chair at Hyland Hills Memory Care, count the pictures on the way to her room in Spanish, burst out in song, complete with hand gestures, at a moment's notice and get everyone singing along, setting up a Harry Potter Room under the stairs for the neighborhood children to play in, complete with a wand, owl and hat.

First and foremost, Mary loved her family. When we got together, there was always a lot of laughing. We all think we are hilariously funny. Mary was always the life of the party. Along the way, she “adopted” many of her friends as part of our family. The neighborhood children from Northglenn and Westminster, the amazing staff at Hyland Hills, and friends of her children were close to her heart.

Mary is survived by her sister: Patricia Warack, her children: Robin (Robert II) Deister; Ronda (Roger) Schritter; Brian Patrick; and Dana (Michael Baca) Patrick, her grandchildren: Andrew Parkins; Robert D (Alexandra) Deister III; Hannah (Clifton King) Parkins, her great grandson: Bennett Deister, and many nieces, nephews, family and friends.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents: Robert Sylvester Clark and Lillian Frances (Morrison) Clark, her siblings: Robert Oscar and Eleanor Clark; Thea (Dorothy) and Ronald Gregory; Elizabeth Huff; Christopher Warack and her grandson: Tyler Parkins.

At Mary’s request, no services will be held.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to these causes near and dear to Mary’s heart: Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation, Lupus Foundation of America, National Multiple Sclerosis (M.S.) Society, American Diabetes Association and Second Wind Fund.

The family of Mary Anita Hemmerle wishes to thank all the people at Hyland Hills Senior Living and All States Cremation.