Irma Clark-Coleman dedicated years of her life to public service at the local and state level, ranging from the Detroit school board to the Michigan Legislature, and most recently, the Wayne County Commission.
The longtime public official died on June 10 at age 88 after a brief undisclosed illness, according to a news release from the Wayne County Commission. Clark-Coleman, who represented Detroit’s west side in the county’s fifth district, was remembered by county and Detroit leaders as someone who spent her career in the service of others and her community.
“She was a tireless public servant. She loved serving. She loved her community, she loved her family and her church. … There’s not many people who can say they’ve served on that many levels of government. I think people should realize that she has a legacy of public service, a legacy of giving and that she loved her job,” Commission Chair Alisha Bell told the Free Press.
Clark-Coleman was a role model for elected officials, especially women, Bell said.
“The people chose her because they knew her heart and they knew how she is when it comes to giving back to the community,” she said.
Clark-Coleman served on the Wayne County Commission since 2010, focusing on public safety and court issues. She worked for the former Wayne County Road Commission and the late county executives, William Lucas and Edward McNamara.
Clark-Coleman served in the Michigan House of Representatives and Senate as a Democrat. She was elected to the House in 1998 and the Senate in 2002, representing parts of Detroit, Dearborn and River Rouge, sitting on several committees ranging from arts and libraries to Great Lakes and tourism. She was appointed to the Detroit Board of Education in 1991 and later became vice president and president. Clark-Coleman was a member of the NAACP and Alpha Rho Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She also sat on the board of Living Waters Church in Redford. Clark-Coleman was known for her annual turkey dinner giveaway, providing meals to families in her district.
Wayne County and Detroit leaders mourned her death and praised her years of public service.
“I was so sad to learn that Commissioner Irma Clark-Coleman passed away. Irma was a tremendous public servant who served her community with relentless dedication and integrity for six terms as a representative of Wayne County’s District 5 after serving in the Michigan State Senate and the Michigan House of Representatives,” Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said in a statement. “Irma and I worked together for years, going back to the ‘90s in the McNamara administration. Her life was all about helping others, and her impact improved the lives of literally thousands. She will be sorely missed and difficult, if not impossible, to replace. My sincere condolences go out to her family as well as her colleagues and constituents.”
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said he was saddened to learn about the death of his dear friend, whom he called a dedicated public servant.
“Irma spent her entire professional career in service to others, from her early years at the Wayne County Road Commission and press secretary for Ed McNamara, to her impressive second career as an elected Detroit School Board member, State Representative, State Senator and, most recently, Wayne County Commissioner,” Duggan said in a statement. “I’ve never met anyone as driven to be of service than Irma and she leaves with us a legacy that demonstrates her commitment. My thoughts are with Irma’s family and her countless other friends at this difficult time.”
Fellow Wayne County Commissioner Jonathan Kinloch called Clark-Coleman a “true champion” for her district.
“She had a political career in government and activism in the Democratic Party spanning over 60 years,” Kinloch said in an email to the Free Press. “Whether it was as a member of the Detroit Board of Education, serving in both chambers of the Michigan Legislature, or on the Wayne County Commission. She always pushed for those in public office to do more to support and protect our children and seniors. Her passing is an enormous loss for the people of Michigan.”
Clark-Coleman was born in Georgia and moved to Detroit. She attended Pershing High School and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wayne State University. She became the first person in her family to graduate from college.
Details about her funeral services were not immediately available. Information about the selection of a new commissioner has not been announced yet but is expected.
Free Press intern Allana Smith contributed to this report.
