Roberta Phyllis ‘Bobbi’ Clark, a 5-time Emmy winning television producer and longtime reporter in Plymouth for WATD radio, died peacefully in her home Wednesday, June 17. She was 93.
Clark was a pioneer in broadcast journalism, with many national, regional, and local reporters crediting her for breaking barriers. She began her professional career nearly 50 years ago at WIND radio in Chicago and was later promoted to the NBC affiliate in Chicago, WMAQ-TV, where she was the lead producer for a daily news program and several made-for-TV documentaries. As a television producer, she won five Emmy awards. She returned to radio and received a proclamation in 2025 from the town of Plymouth for her 25 years of reporting on local news and community affairs for WATD Radio. She recounted her notable career in an interview with WATD radio last year.
Born a twin on Nov. 24, 1932 in East Boston to the late Josephine and Michael Portelle, grew up in Melrose and graduated from Melrose High School in 1951 and Emerson College in 1999 with a degree in writing.
Throughout her life, she was active in theater, with leading and supporting roles in dozens of plays. She was also playwright and producer of her own play, The Homefront, a story about life in during World War II.
She is survived by her daughter , of Oakland; son Steve and daughter-in-law Laura, of St. Louis; daughter Cynthia, of Boston; daughter Jackie, of Chicago; son Barry and daughter-in-law Cornelia, of Phoenix; grandchildren Brendan McNeill and his wife Kate, Stephen Clark, Jr. and his fiancée Katie, Ellie Clark, Judy Clark, Andrea Skeith, Jace and Dane Clark. They called her “Gbobs.”
She was preceded in death by her daughter Susan, sisters Mary and Joanne, and brothers Robert, Joseph, Edward, and Donald.
Visitation will be from 9 to 11a.m. Monday, June 22 at the Cartmell-Davis Life Celebration Funeral Home, 150 Court St., Plymouth. The funeral mass will follow at 11:30 a.m. at St. Kateri Church, 126 South Meadow Road, Plymouth. A private burial will take place in Melrose.