Eileen Pearl Clenard, a Malibu resident from 1954-1999, passed away on April 24, 2014, at the age of 91.
Building the third house on Birdview Avenue, Clenard and her husband Art were among the original “settlers” on Point Dume.
Clenard was an integral member of the Malibu Presbyterian Church, and taught at the Church preschool for many years. She managed Shannon Travel on Point Dume. Later, she was very active in the Malibu community theater and the Malibu Senior Center and she volunteered as a docent for the Adamson House.
She devoted her life to community service, volunteering for activities at the church and the Malibu Library, assisting at voter polls and Camp Fire Girls, and much more.
“She loved children and viewed them as ‘the future,’” a family member said. She took in several foster children that continued to stay in touch with her after they were grown.
When the State of California tried to turn Birdview Avenue into a beach parking lot through eminent domain in the 1960s, Eileen and other local residents successfully fought it to save their homes.
Clenard loved to travel and circled the globe numerous times and visited six continents. Because of her gregarious nature, she was frequently singled out by tour guides and other locals to join their families for a real local dinner in their home, or to visit closed religious ceremonies. She extended this open attitude to people that she met traveling through Malibu and invited them into her home, which created lasting friendships and they would reciprocate the generosity in their homes abroad.
“She lived an adventurous, bold life of service and was loved by many who felt her genuine quality and desire to help,” a loved one said.
Clenard is survived by two sons, Jerry Bender and Rocky Clenard; two daughters, Lianne Clenard and Tammi Clenard; grandchildren Rodney Bender, Summer Swanwick, Sierra Buchanan, Rachael Robinson, Ian Robinson, Nina Robinson and Lily Judge; and great-grandchildren: Dylan, Gabriel, Sunshine, Avery, Jack, Sadie, Ivy, Tessa, Tom, Jason and Margot.
A memorial service will take place on Aug. 9, 2014, at the Malibu Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m. All are invited to attend.