Ms. Annelies Christine Clark

June 28, 1983 - December 11, 2020

While she slept, our Annie’s heart beat its last and she peacefully slipped from this life to the next. She joins her grandparents George & Gwen Clark, Ray & Betty Harde, Aunt Cheryl Dangerfield, Uncle Jimmy Harde, dear friend Carol Belsher, & angel baby Rylan. Annie’s crooked smile and infectious laughter will always and forever be in our hearts. We have a lifetime of memories of Annie that can be shared by her Mom Patti Frey, Dad John Clark, Sisters Chelley Clark, Erin Frey (Peter), Brother Trevor Frey (Valerie), Aunt Debbie (Grant) Braaten, Aunt Shelley (Boyd) Jamison, Aunt Lori (Harvey) Wolowski, Uncle Bob Harde, & Uncle Steven Dangerfield (Judy). Annelies was very close with all her nieces and nephews, Coralee, Tori, Dakota, Tanner, Teagan, Keelan, Riyah, and Lochlan. She adored her great nieces Aubri, Ava-Lynne & Amelia. Annie gave an extension of her love to Isaac, Kaiden, Raegen and Teirneigh, children of her best friend and sister of the heart, Karen Main. Annie will also be dearly missed by Altan Celik, numerous cousins, extended family and dear friends, too many to list. Annelies was a miracle baby born with a congenital heart defect and a 12-year life expectancy. She was our tiny fighter who exceeded all medical expectations, enduring enumerable surgeries, and challenging the best team of medical specialists. At the age of 11, Annie was among the youngest patients placed on the list for heart and lung transplant in Western Canada. After many years of waiting, the transplant was not meant to be for Annie as the availability of a heart and lungs alongside her complicated medical condition proved insurmountable. Annie’s story was shared through newspapers and TV to help spread awareness of the importance of organ donation. “One Life in Waiting” a short film created by Lori Kuffner, gave insight into the medical world of cardiology and what it was like to wait for organs to become available for transplant. The Children’s Wish Foundation generously granted her wish of a horse. ‘Frisco’ gave Annelies the freedom to run when her own body could not. She was delighted to participate in the High River Little Britches Rodeo and Parade. Annie and her family will be forever grateful for the love and support from the High River Community throughout this difficult journey. With her love of four-legged friends, Annie took on a challenge and completed her Veterinary Office Assistant Certificate at Bow Valley College and later joined the team at Paws (Pet Food & Accessories) where she made several friends among her colleagues. Annie always made keeping in touch with people a priority, and she maintained many close relationships with High School friends. When you walked into Annie’s home, while buried under electric blankets and sipping tea, she was always surrounded with images of everything she loved: Family, Friends, and her ‘Fur-babies’. She had this enormous heart and love for her two dogs (Lucius & Draco) and two cats (Moth & Twilight). Annie would take pictures of her family and friends, place them in albums and frames, and always kept them on display to be close to her. Annie’s physical limitations nurtured her to be a woman wise beyond her years. Her quick smile and dry wit inspired her family and friends with the strength to get through their own challenges in life. Her relationship with Altan was incredibly special to Annie. You would often see her piggybacked by Altan as he had the strength to carry her to where she needed to go. Annie showed us faith, taught us to love, and reminded us to be grateful. With those lessons, we gained perspective, learned to live in the moment, and to laugh even in hard times. About a year ago, Annie’s cardiologists gave her the news that her heart would give out within 12 months, and so she immediately went about checking things off of her bucket list. She was always focused towards making and capturing memories, knowing that time spent with those she loved would never be quite long enough. The family is extraordinarily grateful to all the medical personnel throughout her life for their care and skill in turning Annie’s 12 years into 37. Annelies’ final gift to Cardiology was the donation of her heart & lungs to medical education. The Celebration of Life for Annelies will be held at a later date. Visitation for Annelies will be available on December 17th, 18th and 19th by appointment through Lyle Reeves Funerals. In memory of Annelies, memorial contributions may be made to Heart Beats Children’s Society – Supporting Children with Heart Disease – Box 30233, Chinook Postal Outlet, Calgary, Alberta, T2H 2V9 www.heartbeats.ca or Heaven Can Wait Animal Rescue Foundation, Box 6131, High River, Alberta, T1V 1P7 - www.heavencanwait.ca . To send condolences and view Annelies’ Tribute Page please visit www.lylereeves.com . Caring for the family is Lyle Reeves Funerals of High River (Craig Snodgrass) 403.652.4242.