Audra Bailey Clarkson

RUTLAND - Audra Bailey Clarkson died Sunday, December 25, 2016, at the Mountain View Center in Rutland, VT.
Audra was born on May 17, 1923 in Garland, AL, the daughter of Gladys Reid Bailey and Rex O. Bailey. She graduated as valedictorian of her high school class at the Griffith Institute in Springville, NY, and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Elmira College, where she was the editor of the Literary Magazine, feature editor of the yearbook, and played leading roles in several dramatizations.
Her teaching career began as a Dramatics and Public Speaking teacher at St. Mary's School in Burlington, NJ, and later at Delaware Academy in Delhi, NY, where she initiated a State University Drama Club and produced many well-loved performances. It was in her second year at Delaware Academy that she met and later married Ralph Clarkson, a fellow teacher and guidance counselor. They were married for sixty-four years.
Audra and Ralph moved to Oneonta, NY, in 1959 when Ralph began his position as Dean of Students at Hartwick College. Throughout their thirty-three years in Oneonta, Audra's educational career also included teaching English, Speech Therapy and Library Arts. She served as president of AAUW, the Hartwick College Women's Club, the Oneonta Women's Golf Association, and RHO Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma.
She was an avid reader with a flair for writing poetry, and she loved playing golf and bridge. Audra and Ralph loved gardening, traveling and going to baseball games. They moved to Fort Myers, FL, in 1992 and spent many happy years there enjoying friends and family.
Audra was predeceased by Ralph in 2011 and by her sisters, Betty Wade, of Randolph, NY, and Norma Snow Clarkson, of Trumansburg, NY. She is survived by her children; Karen McGurl (George), of Rutland, VT, Kurt Clarkson, of Rutland, VT, Kris Clarkson (Sarah) of Pocatello, ID, and Peter Magellan (Diane), of Vienna, VA; her grandchildren, Marcy McDade (Scott), of Shelburne, VT, Michael McGurl (Christine), of Rutland, VT, Joseph Clarkson of Charlotte, NC, William Clarkson, of Pocatello, ID, PJ Magellan, of Vienna, VA and Mark Magellan, of San Francisco, CA; her great-grandchildren, Maddison McDade, Riley McDade, and Blake McGurl; and her many loving nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours for Audra will be held on Friday, December 30th, at Clifford Funeral Home from 1 -3 p.m., followed by a memorial service at 3:00 p.m. Contributions may be made to The VT Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 80 West St., Suite 202, Rutland, VT 05701; or The Rutland County Humane Society, 765 Stevens Road, Pittsford, VT 05763.