Obituary of Mary "Mimi" Clark Ingram

In Loving Memory of Mary “Mimi” Clark Ingram Mer Rouge, LA – Gulf Shores, AL – Nashville, TN August 31, 1936 – July 27, 2025 With deep love and gratitude for a life beautifully lived, we announce the passing of Mary "Mimi" Clark Ingram, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, who departed this life peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, July 27, 2025, at her home in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 88 years old. Mimi was born on August 31, 1936, in Mer Rouge, Louisiana, to Clarence and Mary Clark, and grew up steeped in the grace and traditions of the Old South. She was shaped by her grandmother and two great-aunts, Katherine and “Tooder,” who shared vivid stories of life in the 1870s and the years following what they called “the War of Northern Aggression.” Those stories inspired her lifelong love of history and storytelling. Mimi attended Newcomb College in New Orleans, where she earned degrees in both Fine Arts and History, followed by a Master’s degree in Education at Tulane. Her years in New Orleans were among the happiest of her life, filled with art, music, and lifelong friendships. It was during this time that she married her beloved husband, Dr. Alton Earl Ingram, and together they began their married life in New Orleans before returning to north Louisiana. Earl lovingly called her “Minkie,” a playful twist on her self-chosen nickname “Mimi,” and their nearly fifty years together were marked by deep love, laughter, and partnership. After welcoming her two children, Mimi developed a passion for politics and public service, which became an exciting and rewarding chapter of her life. She began by traveling across the state with Kathy Long, wife of U.S. Representative Gillis Long, then shared in her husband’s experiences as a member of Governor Edwin Edwards’s cabinet. Later, she worked alongside her dear friend Joanne Nix, whose husband served as Louisiana’s elected Superintendent of Education, while her husband Earl served as the Director of the State Board of Education. Mary and Earl represented the state of Louisiana (along with Superintendent and Mrs. Nix) at the 1976 US Governor’s Conference in Lake Tahoe. While working for the state, Mimi wore many hats—advisor, assistant, and speechwriter—but her favorite role, according to family lore, was being a “frequent napper” at the Department of Education. In fact, Superintendent Nix famously approved the purchase of a napping couch for her office, which Mimi considered her greatest political perk. Mimi had an abiding love of music and the arts, and her home was always filled with melody and creativity. She was an avid reader who was rarely without two books going at the same time. A proud Southerner, she delighted in Southern cooking, often describing a favorite dish as “larraping”—a word as colorful and unique as she was. Her life was also full of humor and spontaneity. Her family fondly recalls the winter of 1980 in Baton Rouge when, during a rare cold snap, Mimi called a local radio station and announced that her children’s school had declared a snow day. The station aired the news, and so few students arrived that the school dismissed everyone—a memory that kept her laughing for decades. Later in life, she continued to find joy in the simple things, like watching deer from her porch or sharing stories with friends and family. In 2001, Mimi moved to Gulf Shores, Alabama, to be near her daughter and beloved granddaughter Leslie Anne Beech. Later, in 2017, she relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where she spent her final years surrounded by family. Mimi is survived by: • Mary Leslie Ingram Briggs of Gulf Shores, Alabama • Dr. Alton Earl Ingram, Jr. of Nashville, Tennessee • Her adored grandchildren: Leslie Anne Beech and husband Madison and Alexander Burke Ingram, a rising sophomore at Florida State University, and her great grandson Hudson Beech • Her devoted brother: David Welch Clark of Broussard, Louisiana, and his sons, Hunter and Conner Clark • Her beloved nephew: David Ingram Burkett, who helped her through many of life’s trials and tribulations, his wife, Sharon, his daughter, Ashley Burkett Phiri; his son, Matthew Howard Burkett and his wife Larissa Ruuskanen; and their children, Finius Burkett and Maya Burkett, Olivia Phiri, and Zoey Phiri. • Niece: Colleen Burkett Brezden and her husband Mike. • Niece: Donna Ingram Howie and her husband Steve. • Nephew: SMT Leslie Brent Ingram and his wife Sarah, and their children, Thomas, James and Kitty Ingram. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Dr. Alton Earl Ingram, who passed away in 2008. Funeral services for Mary will be held at 10 AM Saturday, August 2, 2025 in the chapel of Golden Funeral Home, Bastrop, Louisiana with David Ingram Burkett, of the Forsythe Avenue Church of Christ, in Monroe, officiating, Mrs. Ingram’s nephew. A time of visitation will be held from 9 AM - 10 AM Saturday prior to service. Interment will follow in the Ingram Family Cemetery in Mer Rouge. Serving the family as pallbearers will be David Clark, Connor Clark, Alexander Ingram. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a charity of your choice in Mimi’s memory. Mary’s life was a tapestry of love, humor, intelligence, and grace. She leaves behind a legacy of music, art, good times, good food, good books, and countless stories that will be told—and retold—with laughter and tears for generations to come.