Clarice Agnes Nau

Clarice Agnes Nau (nee Luff) passed away peacefully at Emory University Hospital in the Homestead Hospice Unit at 5:07 PM on July 20th, 2021. She died at the age of 87, not quite reaching her birthdate of November 23. She is predeceased by her husband of nearly 50 years, Robert Albert Nau. She is survived by her daughters Cynthia (Cindi) Nau Cornelissen and Kathy Rae Nau Bishop. She will be lovingly remembered by her son-in-law, Christopher William Cornelissen, by her grandchildren, Jeremy Christopher Cornelissen, Emily Kathryn Cornelissen and Ally London Bishop, along with many very special nieces and nephews. Clarice and Robert (Bob) Nau were married on June 16, 1957. Their marriage nearly reached the milestone of being married for 50 years when Bob passed away following heart bypass surgery and a lengthy hospitalization. During their years together, they worked side by side at SenSitrol, Inc., an engineering firm which Bob founded in the early 1970’s. Bob and Clarice lovingly raised 2 daughters, Cindi and Kathy, first in Haubstadt, Indiana and then in Grayville, Illinois. Both daughters eventually went away to college and earned their degrees. Cindi continued her schooling and pursued a doctorate degree while Kathy returned to Grayville to teach pre-kindergarten to children in the same school she attended as a little girl. Clarice and Bob moved to North Carolina to join Cindi and Chris in 1990, and subsequently Clarice gained employment in Engineering and Operations at Duke University. When Bob passed away in 2006, Clarice moved to Midlothian, VA, where Cindi and Chris had resettled. For the next 13 years, Clarice played an active role in the family life shared by the Cornelissens. She took Emily to dance class, she attended sporting events and dance competitions, and she partook in Sunday meals nearly every week with the Cornelissen household. She found a special friend, Betty Lukadu, who resided in the same condominium complex. She and Betty enjoyed many activities together including shopping, eating out, and watching movies. While in Midlothian, Chris found a stray cat, which Clarice lovingly adopted and named Odie. In 2019, the Cornelissens moved to Decatur, GA and Clarice and Odie made the move to the Atlanta suburb with them. For a year, they all resided in the same household but eventually Clarice made the choice to move to an independent-living retirement community. She wanted to be with people her own age and to actively participate in activities like bridge, which she enjoyed as a young woman. She made many lovely friends in the Regency House, where she particularly loved the food, the company, and the conversation. She lived there with her beloved Odie for about 18 months, through the lockdown and the pandemic. She even survived a bout with COVID-19 herself, having been partially protected by one dose of the available vaccine. Clarice loved her family with all of her heart. She was a huge supporter of Chris’ business and of her daughters’ chosen career paths. Although Clarice’s location prevented her from being actively involved in Kathy and Ally’s day to day activities, she was a constant supporter of them both, always taking the time to learn about what was going on in Illinois. She called her grandson, Jeremy “the apple of her eye” and she adored her beautiful granddaughter Emily, whom she shepherded to all of those dance classes. She was looking forward to attending Emily and Ryan Wall’s wedding in November 2020. Unfortunately, that event had to postponed due to the pandemic. Clarice loved to read and to work Sudoku and crossword puzzles, which she did every day. Clarice will always be remembered for having a huge heart, for being smart, for being a hard and conscientious worker, and for always having a caring and warm way about her. Even during her last days in the hospital, the nursing staff all commented on how sweet she was, always smiling. A celebration of life will be held at Regency House in Decatur, GA on August 19, 2021 for residents of the retirement community. Friends and family are encouraged to attend a second celebration of life on September 11, 2021 from 5:00-7:30 PM at her beloved brother and sister-in-law's rural property located at 5000 east, 250 South, Francisco, IN. Clarice will be interred with her late husband, Bob, at Locust Hill cemetery in Evansville, IN on September 13, 2021.