Clarissa Hurley Wilkinson: A life of love, faith, and progress in Indiana

Clarissa “Cris” Hurley Wilkinson, a longtime resident of Crawfordsville and Lafayette, passed away on Monday, December 2, 2024, after a short battle with cancer. She was 84.

Born in Indianapolis on September 4, 1940, Clarissa moved to Crawfordsville in 1965 after meeting Donald Wilkinson, the love of her life. She worked for Indiana Bell, which she fondly referred to as “the phone company.” Despite earning more than Don, who also worked at Indiana Bell, she left her position to become a stay-at-home mother, raising their five children. This decision reflected the era’s social norms when women often had to choose between careers and family life—an injustice Clarissa frequently reflected upon. She would remark how women of her generation faced systemic barriers that often curtailed their ambitions.

Clarissa’s time in Crawfordsville spanned 35 years. During the 1960s, this small Indiana town was a tight-knit community marked by the optimism of post-war America but also deeply influenced by the social and cultural changes sweeping the country. Crawfordsville was known for its historic downtown, blue-collar work ethic, and conservative values. While the town offered safety and a sense of belonging, it was also a place where traditional roles for women were firmly entrenched. Clarissa found joy in her family and faith as an active member of St. Bernard’s parish but also longed for a world where women could have it all—family and professional fulfillment.

The 1960s in Crawfordsville were a time of relative isolation from the tumult of urban America, yet the national conversation about civil rights, women’s liberation, and Vietnam began to penetrate even this Midwestern enclave. Clarissa, a staunch Democrat in a predominantly Republican town, was deeply empathetic and believed in equality for all. Her views often set her apart, but she stood firm in her convictions, encouraging her children to embrace diversity and progress.

In 2001, Clarissa moved to Lafayette, where she lived for 21 years, before fulfilling a decades-long dream of returning to her hometown, Indianapolis, two years ago. She never attended college but was intelligent and a voracious reader. As her eyesight declined with age, she struggled with the inability to enjoy books as she once had, describing it as feeling “trapped in silence.”

Clarissa took immense pride in her family’s multicultural identity. She was delighted but found it unnecessary that her daughter Donna sought her approval through her brother to date and eventually marry me, a Haitian American Peace Corps volunteer she had met in Togo, West Africa, fearing that she would not approve. After all, Clarissa’s open-mindedness and embrace of diversity were among her greatest legacies.

She was ecstatic when she learned that her son-in-law had been part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team at The New York Times for its coverage of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. It was a moment of immense pride, reflecting her lifelong belief in the power of storytelling to illuminate truth and inspire change. She was also proud that her son-in-law had reached the apex of his profession. 

Clarissa is survived by her husband Don, her five children, Donna Pierre-Pierre, Robert Wilkinson, Joe Wilkinson, Susan Parker, Anne Manion;  12 grandchildren, Cameron Pierre-Pierre, Marissa (Jordan) Brandenburg, Mina Pierre-Pierre, Joshua Wilkinson, Jacob Wilkinson, Sidney Manion, Adrian “Gigi” Manion, Abigail (Tyler) Wilson, Raegan Gentry-Wilkinson, Julius Gentry-Wilkinson, Antoine Gentry-Wilkinson, and Madeline Parker. Her children-in-law and bonus family, Garry Pierre-Pierre, George Parker, Lisa Wilkinson, Rosemiere Wilkinson, Devon Chamberlain, Georgia Pierre-Pierre, Khristy Negrão Pereira, Christyne Negrao Pereira, Paula Negrao Pereira and 5 great-grandchildren Atreus Wilson, Gatlin Wilson, Eloise Wilson, James Morgan and Joshua Pierre-Pierre. She also leaves many friends and other family members who will miss her sage advice and quick wit.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, one of her causes. 

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