Clarice Cecilia Nowak, age 91, of Annandale, formerly of Minnetonka and Duluth, died Saturday, January 17, 2026, at the Annandale Care Center surrounded by her family.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Annandale, with Fr. John Meyer as Celebrant. Burial will follow at St. Ignatius Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday at the church.
Clarice Cecilia Chudecke was born on September 23, 1934, in Foxboro, Wis., to Anton and Pauline (Turel) Chudecke, and was the last surviving of their thirteen children. She grew up in Foxboro and was valedictorian of Superior High School. Clarice worked as an immigration officer for the U.S. Government, where she served in Georgia, on the Canadian border, and in the Philippines. Clarice married Gerald Nowak, and they raised their family in Duluth. Clarice’s unwavering commitment to her family remained the cornerstone of her life.
Clarice was a member of her communities, belonging to St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Duluth, and St. Hubert Catholic Church in Chanhassen. She volunteered at senior centers in Chanhassen and Minnetonka, using her cooking skills.
Throughout her life, Clarice relished the joys of dancing and music. Her zest for life was also reflected in her passion for reading, knitting, downhill and cross-country skiing, and travel. She has a reputation as a gifted cook, often bringing family and friends together with delicious meals that warmed their hearts.
In a family full of big personalities, loud laughter, and endless stories, Clarice was the quiet one. Gentle, steady, and always observing, she had a calm strength about her, a presence that didn’t need volume to be felt. She watched over us in her own quiet way.
To be the last of thirteen is extraordinary. She carried the memories, history, and the legacy of an incredible family. With her passing, a chapter that began so many decades ago now closes, but the love, stories, and the spirit of that generation lives on through all of us.
She is survived by her children, Lori (Donald) Kanipe of Beavercreek, Ohio, Tom (Mary) Nowak of Annandale, Michael Nowak of Shoreview, and Pete (Therese) Nowak of Phillips, Wis.; grandchildren, Karen and Michelle Kanipe, Christi (Ethan) Richards, Tony (Sarah) Nowak, Philip Nowak, Jackie Nowak (Dean Mikulik), Ben (Ashley) Nowak, Jon (Sara) Nowak, and Sam Nowak; great-grandchildren, Tommy and Anna Richards, and Bernadette Mikulik; sister-in-law, Marie Chudecke; goddaughter, Becky Kurtz, and godson, Danny Chudecke; and many nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.
Clarice was preceded in death by her parents; sisters: Josephine Geiger, Jadwiga Chudecke, Pauline Hougen, Bernice Erickson, Sue Roth, Dolores Stepan, and Elinore Provost; and brothers: Leonard, Joseph, Peter, Paul, and Patrick Chudecke.
Arrangements are entrusted to Dingmann Funeral Care Burial and Cremation Services of Annandale.