Obituary for Gerald E Clark
In loving memory of Gerald E. Clark. Born March 24, 1946 in Rockville Center, New York to Beulah and Malcolm Clark.
Jerry grew up on Long Island in the small North Shore village of Northport. He attended Northport High School where he met the love of his life, Jane Clifford. They both sang in the high school choir. Jerry was a tenor and Jane an alto and they sat next to each other all year. They dated through high school and college.
He graduated from C.W. Post College in 1968 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. In December of 1968 Jerry married his high school sweetheart, Jane. The Navy sent Jerry to Tennessee for school and once the course ended he got orders to report to Patuxent River Naval Air Station in southern Maryland. So the newly-weds headed North.
Jerry was an Aviation Electronics Technician who worked on the special electronics on planes that patrolled the oceans. During his four years on active duty he was away from home for an extended period only once. He was deployed to Iceland for five months in 1971. Years later when Iceland became a popular vacation destination Jerry could not understand the attraction. Of course, while in Iceland he spent his time on the base, not touring.
In 1972, shortly after his Honorable Discharge from the Navy, Jerry and Jane welcomed twin daughters. In 1973 the family returned to their home town, Northport. Jerry found a job quickly with a company who dealt almost exclusively with Government contracts. He and Jane bought a house and Jerry’s career progressed over the years. He spent the next 40 plus years as a Program Manager with companies and U.S. Government contracts which required a lot of travel.
In 2015 Jerry retired. He said he was tired of spending so much time on airplanes. Jane retired soon after and with a daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons in Portsmouth, and a daughter not too far away on Cape Cod, moving to Dover was an easy decision.
Jerry was a Long Island kid and even after seven years in New Hampshire his New “Yawk” accent could be heard sometimes. Once in a while he’d complain about New Hampshire winters and he would be reminded that it got cold and snowed on Long Island too.
When he and Jane retired to New Hampshire they hoped to explore some of the beauty and wonders of their new home, but fate stepped in. Jerry passed away February 1st, after a lengthy illness.
He is survived by Jane Clark, his wife of 55 years, his daughter Jennifer Clark, his daughter Judith Clark, her husband Steven Noel, grandsons Simon and Callum Noel, and his brother and sister-in-law Kevin and Deborah.
Jerry grew up on Long Island in the small North Shore village of Northport. He attended Northport High School where he met the love of his life, Jane Clifford. They both sang in the high school choir. Jerry was a tenor and Jane an alto and they sat next to each other all year. They dated through high school and college.
He graduated from C.W. Post College in 1968 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. In December of 1968 Jerry married his high school sweetheart, Jane. The Navy sent Jerry to Tennessee for school and once the course ended he got orders to report to Patuxent River Naval Air Station in southern Maryland. So the newly-weds headed North.
Jerry was an Aviation Electronics Technician who worked on the special electronics on planes that patrolled the oceans. During his four years on active duty he was away from home for an extended period only once. He was deployed to Iceland for five months in 1971. Years later when Iceland became a popular vacation destination Jerry could not understand the attraction. Of course, while in Iceland he spent his time on the base, not touring.
In 1972, shortly after his Honorable Discharge from the Navy, Jerry and Jane welcomed twin daughters. In 1973 the family returned to their home town, Northport. Jerry found a job quickly with a company who dealt almost exclusively with Government contracts. He and Jane bought a house and Jerry’s career progressed over the years. He spent the next 40 plus years as a Program Manager with companies and U.S. Government contracts which required a lot of travel.
In 2015 Jerry retired. He said he was tired of spending so much time on airplanes. Jane retired soon after and with a daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons in Portsmouth, and a daughter not too far away on Cape Cod, moving to Dover was an easy decision.
Jerry was a Long Island kid and even after seven years in New Hampshire his New “Yawk” accent could be heard sometimes. Once in a while he’d complain about New Hampshire winters and he would be reminded that it got cold and snowed on Long Island too.
When he and Jane retired to New Hampshire they hoped to explore some of the beauty and wonders of their new home, but fate stepped in. Jerry passed away February 1st, after a lengthy illness.
He is survived by Jane Clark, his wife of 55 years, his daughter Jennifer Clark, his daughter Judith Clark, her husband Steven Noel, grandsons Simon and Callum Noel, and his brother and sister-in-law Kevin and Deborah.