Cora Louise Saunders Clarke was born on December 25, 1930 to Heywood Saunders and Beatrice Duarte in Thomasville, Georgia. She went to be with the Lord on January 22, 2022. At the age of 7 she and her mother joined the Great Migration, settling first in Newton, Massachusetts and later in Boston, Massachusetts. She was an active member of People's Baptist Church for many years and taught Sunday school, sang in the choir, and belonged to the Young Adult Fellowship where she made many lifelong friends. She graduated from Girls' High and took college courses at Northeastern. She was employed by John Hancock, United Negro College Fund, Honeywell and the Framingham Library. Cora returned to the suburbs as a homeowner when she moved to Natick with her husband and 3 children. She immediately became an active member of the League of Women Voters. She was an advocate for voting and made it to the polls even when she couldn't drive.

She joined First Baptist Church of Natick and was an active member until its closure. After retiring she was active with the seniors at Greater Framingham Christian Center and the Community United Methodist Church of Cochituate Village in Wayland. She was a writer who published articles and was a member of a writing group. Her longest work was an historical fiction essay based on the life of Crispus Attucks. Being a Christmas baby, she would play Christmas records and begin decorating the day after Thanksgiving. She would also set up holiday displays in the breezeway of her house. She loved to shop, visit museums, see fireworks displays, go to plays and parades, and was an aficionado of classical music, often attending concerts at Boston Symphony Hall and listening to the Boston Pops. Her love of reading was supported through the book delivery service for homebound seniors provided by the Morse Institute, Natick Library.

She is survived by her daughters Naomi (Clarke) Heard, Lisa (Clarke) González and son Spencer E. Clarke. Grandchildren Donald Ray Heard Jr. André Heard, Jorge González Jr., Desirée González, Alana Clarke, and Aria Clarke, Great grandchildren Zoë Heard, Aimeé Heard, Donald Heard III, Dora Heard and Rina González Ward. Nieces, nephews, cousins and friends all share in the sorrow.