Raleigh E. Clark ’58 died on June 16, 2012 in Troy, New Hampshire.
(The following was published by The Brattleboro Reformer on June 19, 2012)
Raleigh Edwin Clark passed away peacefully on June 16, 2012, after a long battle with cancer. His loving wife, Patricia, and devoted son, Stanley, were sitting quietly with him when he took his last breath. It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning when his spirit went to be with the Lord. Patricia worked tirelessly to make sure that Raleigh could spend his final months in his own home in Troy, NH where they had lived together for the past 25 years. Raleigh was blessed to have Patricia and his son, Stanley, lovingly caring for him throughout his illness. Raleigh, born in Cambridge, MA, on May 24, 1935, to Stanley E. Clark and Mildred (Beatty), devoted his life to teaching. He attended several prestigious universities including: Harvard, Bowdoin, and Middlebury. He earned a Bachelor of Education degree from Keene State College in Math & Secondary Education. He was also working on completing his Masters of Education in Math & School Administration at Keene State College. Most recently he was employed at Trinity Christian School in Keene, teaching all levels of middle school math. He also tutored students out of his own home and had done so for many years. He taught academics: reading, writing, and all levels of math, as well as music: piano, guitar, trumpet, clarinet, flute, trombone, and saxophone. His enthusiastic and joyful teaching manner endeared him to his many students and their parents. In previous years, he taught at schools in Peterborough, Jaffrey, and Hinsdale, NH as well as in Brattleboro, VT. In addition to his love of education and teaching, he was extremely passionate about shooting and participated in many competitions. In 1974, he opened Northeast Outfitters, a sporting goods and gun store, which he went on to operate for 11 years before moving to West Brattleboro, VT, and renaming the store Sunset Farms Sports Shop. He continued the business there until 1987 when he returned to full-time teaching. Raleigh also served in the Army for three years. In 1983, Raleigh gave his heart to the Lord and served him throughout his life’s work. Raleigh Clark is survived by his wife, Patricia A. (Merrill) Clark; his three sons, Stanley Charles Clark and his wife, Jessica, Robert James Clark and his wife, Heidi, and Mark Timothy Clark; seven grandchildren, Kyla, Sally, Jamie, Trevor, Phoebe, Grace, and Felicity, as well as his brother, Charles K. Clark (of Dana Point, Calif.) and his brother-in-law Dennis Merrill (of Hinsdale, N.H.) He was predeceased by his grandson, Stephen Mark.