Loretta Clarke Radcliff (Morgan), 83, of Mechanicsville died Nov. 29, 2012, at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis.

She was a social worker for the department of social services in St. Mary’s County. She worked several years beforehand as a legal assistant and graduated from Margaret Brent School in 1945.

She will be remembered for being a loving and charismatic woman. She endeared and delighted those who met her through her vivacious storytelling and wit. She will also be remembered as a strong, spirited individual, who was always laughing and smiling. She enjoyed playing croquet, horseshoes and softball, but her favorite activity was swimming and the water. Relatives said that if she could have spent her free time lying out on the beach by the water, she’d have been perfectly content. She visited the Patuxent River with her family often, almost every weekend, and had a soft spot for Sandgates Beach.

When she was young, her favorite thing was to put on her father’s work boots. All her siblings called her “Boots.”

Her faith was important to her. She was an active member for many years at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and never missed Sunday Mass. She was family-oriented and treasured her loved ones.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Johnny Radcliff; three brothers, Richard, Maurice and Benedict Clarke; and two sisters, Willie Ford and Evelyn Corso.

She is survived by siblings, James, Donald, Alvin and Glenwood Clarke; children, Debbie, Michelle, Julia and Ricky (Deborah); grandchildren, Chelsea, Jacqueline, Amber, Tony, Joe, Mary, Shannon, and Shawn; and several great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to Little Flower School, 20410 Point Lookout Road, Great Mills, MD 20643; or Mother Catherine Spalding School, 38833 Chaptico Road, Mechanicsville, MD 20659 for the Loretta Clarke Radcliff Memorial Fund.

A memorial Mass will be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Morganza on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 1 p.m.

Online condolences may be made at www.johnmtaylorfuneralhome.com.