Ann Clark Terry, 103

Ann Clark Terry, 103, lead singer of one of the most popular singing groups of the Big Band Era, peacefully passed away on Jan. 10, 2026, at the Brendan House in Kalispell. Ann lived and enjoyed a rich and fulfilling life that focused on music, art, golf, and a passion for family.  

Ann was born in 1922 during the Depression, the second of six girls, and lived her early life in Valley City, North Dakota. At 6 years of age, with two of her sisters, Jean (8) and Peggy (4), the trio performed with the American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps as the "Clark Kiddies." When the girls were in high school, they performed at the Dacotah Hotel in Grand Forks and had a nightly 15-minute radio show on KFJM.   

Ann and her sisters were encouraged to expand their audience, and they traveled to New York to find fame and fortune. Their father sent them via train with $200 and told them to "come home when you run out of money." When they arrived, they did not have the funds for a return ticket and found a room at the local YWCA for 50 cents a night. They found work and appeared several times on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour radio show, singing as both the Clark Sisters and the Wilson Sisters with Joey Bishop.   

In 1942, the Clark Sisters, with Mary replacing Jean, toured several US Army and Naval bases with the USO during World War II. After the tour, Jean rejoined the group in New York, and they began singing in their trademark four-part harmony.     

In 1944, the Clark Sisters auditioned for Tommy Dorsey in their New York apartment when he was looking to replace the Pied Pipers. They were hired on the spot and joined the band a week later. Performing as a quartet, renamed the Sentimentalists, the arrangements featured what became their signature, unique close harmony musical style. They had several hits, including "I Should Care," "On the Sunny Side of the Street" and "Chicago."    

After leaving the Dorsey band in 1946, Ann moved to Los Angeles to continue her singing career, primarily in the television industry, where she performed on several popular shows, including Judy Garland, Dinah Shore, Andy Williams and Carol Burnett. She also managed Carol Burnett's fan mail. In addition to her solo work, the Clark Sisters recorded three albums between 1959 and 1962.

In 1948, Ann met and married Howard Peter "Pete" Terry, a well-respected woodwind musician who had transitioned from big bands to the movie and television industries. Together they raised two daughters in Northridge, California.  

After decades of visiting her aunt, well-known local pianist Marguerite Rathje (who lived in Whitefish from 1943 until her 1993 death at age 103), Ann and Pete moved to Montana in 1984, building a house on Lion Mountain overlooking Whitefish Lake. They loved Northwest Montana and Ann began capturing both the beauty of the area and special activities in the Flathead Valley by creating annual watercolor Christmas Cards that she mailed to family and friends for many years. Ann and Pete relocated to Kalispell in 2003 and Ann celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends at the Village Greens Community Center. 

Ann was a gifted oil and watercolor artist who also designed and created custom gold jewelry. Ann and Pete were regulars on the golf course, and Ann enjoyed traveling to various PGA and LPGA tournaments. 

Ann was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Pete and her five sisters, Jean, Peggy, Mary, Judi and Susan. With Ann’s passing, the Clark Sisters and big band vocal group legacies will continue through their music and the memories of their performances.  

Ann is survived by her daughters, Kay and Meg, and grandchildren, Meca and Brian. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, and their extended families. A celebration of life is being planned.