May 28, 1928 – March 31, 2019
A long time resident of Mercer Island, Myra passed away on March 31st at the age of 90. She was born in Garden City, Kansas to Cleve and Nellie Clark, the eldest of 3 siblings. The early years were punctuated by the Depression, the Dust Bowl and a serious medical condition. Myra Clark graduated from Rochester High School and then earned a BS in Zoology and a BA in English from the University of Washington. On Saint Patrick’s Day, 1950, she married Homer Lupton and they celebrated their 65th anniversary just prior to his death. Susan Lupton, their only child, is mother to her three beloved granddaughters, Catherine, Dianne and Elizabeth Rigby.
Innumerable students learned much while in Mrs. Lupton’s English classes at Sammamish High School in Bellevue. For 31 years, the very petite but formidable lady challenged her students to learn, think and write. In return, they were known to have shouted out ‘Mrs. Lupton’ in the most unexpected locations.
Active in the leadership of a number of organizations, she was a dedicated member of the League of Women Voters and Phi Beta Kappa for more than 50 years. Myra was very proud of her participation in the MI Youth and Family Services Foundation. She was also an ardent member of the Friends of Luther Burbank Park. In 2003, she was named the Mercer Island ‘Citizen of the Year’ for her years of advocacy for the common good in her community.
She will be missed by many as she was “much loved and much respected”. In remembering her, other friends have written, “truly one of a kind, intrepid, determined, outspoken and always kind”, “touched so many lives with her indomitable spirit”, “a voice of reason and civility”, “wonderful and gracious”, also very apt, “a force to be reckoned with”. The ultimate complement was “I wish there were a lot more Myras out there”.
From Myra’s years of civil engagement and activism comes her legacy to her communities, small and large. Retain public spaces for people not for private profit. Every vote matters. Help people in time of need but also nurture the soul through public access to education and the arts.
A Celebration of Myra’s Life will be held on Tuesday, May 21 at 4 pm, Mercer Island Community & Event Center.
Contributions in her honor may be made to: Puget Sound Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, PSA-PBK, PO Box 15258, Seattle, WA 98115; League of Women Voters of Seattle and King County, LWV-SKC, 1511 3rd Ave, Suite 900, Seattle WA 98101; MI Youth and Family Services Foundation, 2040 84th Ave SE, Mercer Island WA 98040.
