By David Ranii, Staff Writer

Weta Ray Clark, whose nearly five years as an editor at The News & Observer were distinguished by her creativity and her efforts to engage readers, died Saturday morning after a lengthy battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Clark, who was 44, joined The N&O as home and garden editor in October 2003 and last year took the additional role of features day editor. In September, she chose to leave the paper by taking a voluntary buyout offered to employees as part of a cost-cutting effort.

“Weta was talented, creative and passionate about her work,” said John Drescher, executive editor. “She really took ownership of the Home and Garden section, and she poured her heart into it.

“She was demanding of herself and she was demanding of those around her,” Drescher added. “Weta would come into my office every now and then and tell me exactly what we needed to do and exactly what I needed to do. And I liked that in her because I knew her heart was always in the right place, which was trying to make the paper as best as possible.”

Clark, the mother of seven children, immediately wanted to make changes when she joined The N&O – and pushed to implement them quickly.

“But she had really good ideas and whenever she was done, it was always great,” said features editor Debra Boyette.

Some of those changes involved new ways to reach out to readers, such as “My Mother's Garden,” which attracted nearly 200 letters and e-mail messages from readers reminiscing about their mothers and their green thumbs; and “Your Favorite Ornaments,” which two Christmases ago received nearly 100 reader submissions.

“It is clear the most cherished [ornaments] are those that carry sentimental value,” Clark wrote. “And for many, the stories are far more beautiful than the ornaments themselves.”

Clark also worked with Georgia Bizios, a professor at N.C. State University's College of Design, to launch the paper's “Home of the Month” feature in 2006.

“She wanted what we included and what we said about architectural design of homes to be such that her readers would be educated and also see the applicability of those ideas in their personal lives,” said Bizios. “She mentioned that many times, that she wanted for us to make sure to discuss ideas that people can get inspired by.”

Clark's previous newspaper jobs included: acting weekend editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer; senior copy editor and national/foreign wire editor at the Houston Chronicle; and copy editor at New York Newsday.

She had bachelor's degrees in government and broadcast journalism from the University of Texas.

Clark was born in San Francisco but was raised in Texas – where she was homecoming queen and senior class president at Wharton High School in Wharton.

“She was a giver,” said her husband, Michael. “It is kind of ironic that she passed away this Thanksgiving weekend. That is what she did for everybody. She gave. She gave sunshine to everybody.

“She lived her life from Day One in a Christian manner,” he added. “If anyone was prepared to go and meet the Lord and be with the angels, it was Weta.”

Clark lived in Holly Springs. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children, Dominique Clark, 24, of Downingtown, Pa.; Phylicia Thornabar, 22, of Marietta, Ga.; Reis Thornabar, 21, of Fayetteville; Seth Clark, 16; Seneca Clark, 14; Kael Payne, 13, and Madison Payne, 11; her mother, Hazel Spiller, and father, Raymond Ray, both of Texas; two sisters, Lurena Spells and Marlene Spiller, both of Texas; and two grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held Saturday at Cary Church of Christ, but the time has not yet been scheduled.