Catherine Clark Partridge
March 8, 1944 — April 28, 2024
Catherine Clark Partridge, co-founder of Kidspace Children’s Museum, dies at 80
Catherine Clark Partridge, 80, of San Marino, beloved mother of Monica Partridge and Michael Partridge, sister of Randy Clark, and widow of David Brian Partridge, passed away at her home on April 28th, 2024, surrounded by loved ones. She died of complications from cancer.
Her legacy lives on through her philanthropy in both the arts and early childhood education, two topics that were the great passions of her life. An educator, artist, and visionary, Cathie participated in and cofounded several organizations across Los Angeles, the two of which she was most proud were Kidspace Children’s Museum and MOCA.
Cathie co-founded (with the Junior League of Pasadena and Jane Popovich) Kidspace Children’s Museum in 1979 and was actively involved with the museum in several capacities — fundraising, board member and chairman, and helping facilitate the move to the Fannie Morrison complex in Brookside Park — for almost 50 years.
She was one of the founding members of the MOCA Projects Council in the 1980s — a group of art enthusiasts and collectors who would curate and sponsor exhibitions, which would later grow into what would become L.A.’s Museum of Contemporary Art.
As an almost 50-year member of the Pasadena Art Alliance, Cathie was on the committee to host the first art auction, chaired by Sabra Clark at the Rosemont Pavilion, which was the first benefit art auction west of the Mississippi. The PAA Art Auction has become an institution of the Pasadena and Los Angeles art communities over the generations.
Additionally, she was a longtime member and supporter of the Fellows of Contemporary Art, Armory Center for the Arts, the Pasadena Art Museum, the Pasadena Museum of California Art, LACMA, the L.A. Philharmonic, Las Madrinas, the Assembly Ball, and the Young Presidents Organization (with her late husband).
Born in San Francisco in 1944, Cathie resided with her maternal grandparents, the Erskines, until her father returned from WWII naval service, when, at age 4, her family — now including a younger brother — relocated to the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles, to be closer to her father’s parents.
While attending Centenary College in New Jersey, she ushered at the Metropolitan Opera and performed with her school choir at Carnegie Hall. Her junior year in Florence, Italy, she studied opera, Renaissance art and art history, which deeply influenced her life path. She graduated from Whittier College with a focus on art and education, obtaining her teaching certification.
In 1968, Cathie married David Partridge, and their relationship flourished over 45 years until his death in 2014.
Not just a collector of other artists’ work, Cathie herself was also an abstract painter of over 40 years. Her focus with her own painting was how to bring movement (dance) into a two-dimensional object. She studied painting with renowned Los Angeles-based artist Tom Wudl for over 20 years.
Designed by Los Angeles-based architect Peter Tolkin, her home in Montecito was awarded the Residential Architect Design Award and the AIA Honor Award for Los Angeles residential architecture in 2019, as well as having been recognized by Dwell Magazine as a top home of the year.
She will be remembered for her vision, creativity, sense of wonder, positive view of life and incredible sense of humor.
Cathie is preceded in death by her parents, Nellie Erskine and Ernest M. Clark Jr., and her younger brother Ernest M. Clark III (Tony), devoted husband of Evelyn Clark.
Cathie’s Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, June 1st, at 3 p.m. at the Valley Hunt Club, 520 S. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, California (note there is a dress code). In lieu of flowers, Catherine’s children request donations be sent to Kidspace Children’s Museum.
