Mrs. Maude Clark Roark died Sept 29, 1979. She was the widow of George Roark Sr., the first city manager of Pensacola. The following historical information was sourced from her obituary. She was past President of the Abernathy Chapter, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, The Nomads and the Pensacola Hemerocallis Society. She had been active in the Pensacola Federation of Garden Clubs for more than 30 years. In 1955 she was chairman of the first flower show ever held in the Municipal Auditorium. Mrs. Roark also served two terms as President of the Azaela Club, the second term started after WWII in 1946. Maude was a Master Garden Show Judge and organized the Pensacola Council of Flower Show Judges as a study group and was its first President. For the Florida Council of Flower Show judges, she served twice as district director, 1960-62 and 1965-67. In 1957-58, Mrs. Roark served as Blue Star Memorial Highway chairman and was instrumental in having the Legislature pass bills memorializing 700 miles of Federal highways and in erecting 22 Blue Star Memorial Highway Markers, including the one at the welcome station on US 90. In 1965-67, Mrs Roark was again state Blue Star Memorial Highway Chairman erecting 6 Blue Star markers with 328 additional miles memorialized. Mrs. Maude C Roark served as the Pensacola Hemerocallis Society's first secretary and our club is proud to remember all that she accomplished.
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