Obituary: Clarice C. Lodder

Clarice C. Lodder 5/15/1931 ~ 4/7/2006 She loved pink, gardening, cooking, (she was a great cook) and intimate chats. Her greatest delights were her family - and loving one man for over 54 years. She loved to live in the joy of her grandchildren's lives. She loved grandchildren so much that she unofficially adopted many who were not her own. No great-grandchildren yet, so she "adopted" her precious Bella, a dear friend's grandchild. Clarice Cole Lodder passed away Friday night, April 7, 2006 at San Ramon Regional Medical Center. For those of us knowing Clarice, it was a shock. Diabetes ruled her life physically but never got hold of the essence of who Clarice was. She fought the disease with tenacity, courage and humble strength, like a farmer's daughter. She knew hard work and diabetes is hard work. Being in the hospital was a routine occurrence but she always pulled through, even at the toughest times. Born May 15, 1931 in Preston, Idaho, to Riley Heber Cole and Esther Comish Larsen, Clarice was the baby of the family and treated like a princess. Preston was tiny and hasn't gotten much bigger over the years. Clarice was proud to still own the property upon which she lived as a little girl. Dreams of falling in love led her to go with a girlfriend to the big city - Salt Lake City. Clarice worked in an office and met a local fellow, Ron Lodder. She was a lovely bride, encouraging Ron to complete college and soon a baby, David was born. Ron joined the Air Force and being in flight school forced their move to Florida and later Idaho where they added to their family with another son, Alan and a treasured daughter, Julie. Clarice learned to entertain as an officer's wife and later, in civilian life, kept entertaining as they moved around the country with Ron's jobs and putting her cooking skills to good use. Clarice volunteered with local hospitals, played bridge and excelled at golf. In fact, she was better than most golfers - man or woman. Once the children left home to begin their lives, Ron and Clarice moved to St. Louis and developed a group of friends they enjoyed fine wine and good food - The Oink Oink Club. They went to restaurants together, waved a magic wand over their food and declared all calories gone! The Oink Oinks now live in many cities across the United States, but Clarice has made sure they continue to get together and enjoy one another's company. When grandchildren came along, Clarice loved to bring them along on trips, but she always took the time to educate and expose the grandchildren to fine restaurants and the wonders of Chicago, New York, New England, Disneyworld, Washington DC and Hawaii. Christmas was a favorite for Clarice - she wrapped each gift with fine trimmings of ribbons and bright colors. Every granddaughter knew to expect the blue box from Tiffany's when she came of a certain age. Grandsons were paid special attention when they showed interest in photography, music or sports. Clarice always knew what their hearts desired. Clarice loved to travel, although it was harder in recent years. She discovered using a scooter while at her oldest grandson's wedding in Hawaii - and Ron got her one soon after they returned home. She found freedom using the scooter and enjoyed independence once again. Along with her personal assistant, Pam Martin, Clarice was able to enjoy events with the Alamo Garden Club, Blackhawk Women's Club, luncheons and outings. Ron and Clarice were active at the Blackhawk Country Club, enjoying many dear friends at dinners, bingo, potlucks and special events. The constant in Clarice's life was her true love, Ron. Ron understood the farmer's daughter that was treated like a princess growing up. Clarice was able to continue to grow into a smart and polished woman, able to strike up a conversation with anyone, but at the heart of her being, she was still a princess. Ron understood that and celebrated her kingdom - her beautiful home built on a hill with lovely shades of pink inside and family photos surrounding her like precious diamonds. She was a strong woman and loved being a part of life. Clarice was preceded in death by three brothers, one sister, one grandchild and her parents. Celebrate Clarice's life with her husband, Ron, and children, David (wife Janet Brennan); Alan (wife Maurine) and Julie Schull (husband Todd); grandchildren are Daniel, Douglas, Anna (who passed away in infancy), Angela, Derek and Darin (Lodder), Dallas and Darby (Brennan), Michael, Nathan and Marlise (Lodder), Melanie Heather Brown (husband Adam) and Kimberly (Schull). Viewing Wednesday, April 12, 5 - 8 p.m. at Wilson & Kratzer Chapel of San Ramon Valley, 825 Hartz Way, Danville. Funeral 10:00 a.m. Thursday, April 13 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2949 Stone Valley Road in Alamo. Interment immediately following at Oakmont Memorial Park in Lafayette. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the American Diabetes Association, 1900 Powell Street #285, San Francisco, 94608 or www.diabetes.org. Wilson & Kratzer (925)- 820-2999