Mary Pat Clarke, first woman to serve as Baltimore City Council President dies at 83

BALTIMORE -- Known as a fierce tenants' rights advocate and the first woman elected to serve as president of Baltimore City Council, Mary Pat Clarke died on Sunday morning, according to sources close to her.

Leaders in City Hall had begun paying homage to Clarke, who most recently retired from City Council in 2020. Councilmember Odette Ramos, Clarke's successor in her Northeastern Baltimore district, sponsored legislation last year named in her honor that strengthened protections, making it easier for renters to purchase the homes they live in. And in August Mayor Brandon Scott unveiled the Mary Pat Clarke Playground near Lake Montebello.

In a statement Sunday afternoon, Scott said Clarke "passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by family after a brief illness." He described her as a trailblazer, a fighter and an "impeccable public servant."

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