CLARK (nee Frandsen), Jytte
As a pretty lass growing up during the Nazi occupation of
Copenhagen, Denmark in World War II, Jytte looked past the strife of those times and fell in love first with many things American - including jazz - and then, some years
later, an American soldier.
Jytte's courage and loving, independent spirit eventually led her to walking hand-in-hand into Copenhagen's City Hall and marrying that young U.S. Airborne Army paratrooper from Ohio and then later traveling to America with him, their baby boy, a bundle of jazz records and little else.
Jytte Clark (nee Frandsen), 83, died Aug. 21 at Ohio's Hospice of Dayton after waging a years-long battle with several
illnesses and besting each one until eventually the sicknesses joined forces to overcome Jytte's vigorous will to live.
Her arrival in America saw her living first in her newlywed husband James Clark's hometown of Jackson, Ohio and then Dayton, Ohio.
Jytte eagerly took on the challenges of simultaneously learning about America while raising a family and excelled at both, said James, her husband of 63 years.
"She was the kindest person I ever knew besides my own mother," said James. "My nickname for her was 'Kitten.'"
"Jytte was also one of the strongest people I've known. She took all the illnesses that were thrown at her and would not let them interfere with her life. If it had not been for the Covid pandemic, I am sure there would have still been dinners and parties in the last two years that her many, beloved Danish-American friends would have been invited to," said James.
"As for her being a mom, she was the best. She was always there for her children no matter what, through their many successes and occasional challenges."
Jytte also had a strong compassion for the people of society that get left behind through no fault of their own. She was very generous in giving to charities that assisted them."
"I feel very blessed to have shared this life with her," said James.
Those who also had the pleasure of knowing Jytte over the decades from her 1958 arrival in America saw a transformation from a wide-eyed Dane who later not only adapted quickly to her new home but thrived in American culture while proudly maintaining her unique, foreign-born perspective on all things.
In the 1960s she worked her way up as a leading cosmetic counter sales lady in the then premier, upscale Dayton downtown department store Rikes, where her knowledgeable
approach, Scandinavian beauty and delightfully lingering Danish accent charmed customers.
A voracious reader, Jytte developed a life-long taste for traditional American newspaper journalism and never let a day pass without reading her beloved Dayton Daily News. Also, never far from her favorite chair was a stack of Danish-language news magazines.
Her mind was equally wide-ranging as were her travels with her husband and three children.
They regularly embarked on summer adventures even into her later years. These explorations – including biking the width of Denmark with her oldest, then 14-year-old son and his friend – included most of Europe, Iceland and British Columbia
Canada as well as many travels over the decades throughout America.
Active for decades in the Cincinnati-Dayton Scandinavian Society, a party at the Clark's home among their life-long group of loving Danish-American friends was a conversational feast of international variety with eclectic discussions of topics spanning both sides of the Atlantic as well as the world.
Daughter Anja Clark said her mother's "guiding principles were kindness and compassion."
"She had a genuine interest in knowing others and a curiosity about the world. She fiercely loved her family and friends. She was supportive and wanted those she loved to thrive and be happy," said Anja.
"She gave great advice and was always encouraging us to challenge ourselves, grow and pursue our dreams. She was
tenacious, and her personal strength through challenging times was inspiring."
"She made a family of friendships in the U.S. – many of which have spanned over six decades. She enjoyed entertaining and she loved to celebrate with family and friends. And she had style. She had great taste and created a warm and beautiful home, which was the embodiment of the Danish concept of home comfort known as "hygge."
"She was a loving grandmother to our daughter Sylvie. She had a special bond with her and Mom lit up when Sylvie was around and was so gentle, loving and tender with her. She took a lot of pride in Sylvie," said Anja.
Jytte's youngest son Jason, described his mother as "inspirational."
"My mom was and will always be an inspiration to me. To be willing to uproot herself from her home country and move to an unknown land for love and the desire to create her own family - I have endless respect for her daring nature," said
Jason.
"Her intelligence and reasoning ability were always a safe haven for any problem that life might present to me. Apart from that, she never let go of her pride in being Danish. She carried it with her and created reflections of it wherever she could."
"Her tenacity was fierce, even in her final days on Earth. Just a few days prior to death she was sitting up and talking to us about how she was going to get better and the things she wanted to do once she was."
"She was unwilling to accept that adversity would bring her down, that the many physical struggles she faced would
triumph over her - they were just things that were happening to her, they would eventually go away and life would return to normal," said Jason.
Oldest son Michael marveled at his mother's quick-thinking and fearlessness in any situation.
"She taught me in a thousand instances that a cowardly life was a diminished life," said Michael.
"And that included her intellectual courage to view the world from different angles but always through a moral prism of compassion, especially for those who may not be as blessed. She had no tolerance for intolerance and didn't hesitate to call out an injustice for what it was," said Michael.
Daughter in-law Cherese Clark said she picked up on Jytte's strengths and loving nature from their first meeting.
"To me, Mama Clark was "the little Danish lady" who was short in stature but long on courage," said Cherese.
"Her courage was a symbol throughout her life, not only being a stranger in a strange land but also to endure the many health challenges that she experienced. What a blessing for me from God, to have known and loved her."
Son in-law Steve Bright described Jytte as "a great conversationalist, both in how she could demonstrate knowledge and interest in a broad range of topics, and in how she would
always ask questions that let you know she was interested in you and paying attention to your life."
To view a photo gallery of Jytte's life and leave remembrances and prayers, please go to: forevermissed.com/jytte-clark
Besides her husband James, Jytte is survived by her sister Mette Wullum in Canada's British Columbia (Hornby Island), sons Michael Clark - wife Cherese Clark (Cincinnati) and Jason Clark (Detroit) and daughter Anja Clark - husband Steve Bright and their daughter Sylvie Bright (Centerville, Ohio), along with niece Connie Creamer and husband Mike (Lawrenceberg, Indiana).
She was preceded in death by her mother Erna Frandsen and father Ernst Frandsen, of Herfolge, Denmark.
The Clark family would like to give the deepest of thanks to the kind-hearted professionals of Ohio's Hospice of Dayton.
Memorials and donations should go to Ohio's Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Ave, Dayton, Ohio 45420 or donate at hospiceofdayton.org/donations.
CLARK, Jytte
