Clarice T. Ator
1926-2017
Clarice Thompson Ator formerly of Houston, Texas and recently of Kansas City, passed peacefully into the arms of her loving Savior on August 2, 2017 while at home with her Kansas City family. She was preceded in death by her husband S.H. Ator, Jr. in 1992. She is survived by her oldest son, Bryan Ator and Tina Bistline of Forney, Texas, and his son Clinton Ator; her youngest son, Greg Ator and wife Dana Ator, along with their children Melissa, Jonathan, Valerie, and David of Mission Hills, Kansas. She is also survived by her brother Robert Edwin Thompson and wife Betty Russell Thompson and their son Steve Thompson and wife Verna Thompson. She was predeceased by Robert and Betty's son Russell Winn Thompson and survived by his wife Tina Thompson.
Born in 1926 in Paluxy, Texas, Clarice Ator was a school teacher from early in life teaching in a one room primary school in the 40's. She graduated from Tarleton College in 1945 and wed S.H. Ator Jr of Lipan, Texas on September 1st, 1946. After starting a family she completed a Bachelor of Science in Education at the University of Houston in 1968. Clarice returned to the classroom to teach, this time in the older primary grades in schools in the Houston Independent School District. She was one of the first teachers in the district to participate in "crossover" integration arrangements for schools serving underprivileged children. She finished her career teaching gifted sixth graders at Horn Elementary.
Clarice was active in many missions related activities with her church, Houston's First Baptist, where she was a member for over 60 years, and spent many years helping women achieve independence from poverty through a job and life skills training program called Christian Women's Job Corp. She taught Women's Sunday School for over 25 years. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and actively cultivated her genealogy interests.
The family and friends in central Texas are invited to a graveside service in Lipan, Texas on Saturday, August 26th at 10 AM at the Evergreen Cemetery, Lipan, Texas followed by a Memorial Service at Houston's First Baptist Church, 7401 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77024 on Sunday, August 27th at 2 PM.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Missions Fund of Houston's First Baptist Church or to the S.H. and Clarice T. Ator Medical Missionary Endowed Scholarship Fund of Wheaton College, 501 College Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187.
The Wiley Funeral Home, Granbury, Texas, has been entrusted with arrangements.