Howard Clarke

Obituary: Howard Clarke died on February 17, 2007 at home in Melvin Village after a long and courageous battle with colon cancer.

Howie was born January 30, 1936 to Howard and Muriel Leonard Clarke in Attleboro, Massachusetts. He attended Colby College in 1954-1957 and then served in the United States Navy from the fall of 1957 to the spring of 1961.

While in the Navy, he studied Chinese Mandarin at the Army Language School in Monterey, California where he graduated in December 1958. During that time he met his wife Ann whom he married in January 1959. He was ordered to Taipei, Taiwan and Ann joined him in August 1959. They moved to the Philippines in 1960 and finished Howie’s military career in the spring of 1961, the year that Howie returned to Colby. After graduating in the spring of 1963, Howie joined the Hathaway Shirt Company as a sales trainee. He worked for Hathaway in various sales positions including St. Louis, Washington, D. C. and New York, advancing to become Regional Sales Manager and Sales VP. He was National Sales Manager of Christian Dior Accessories, a division of Hathaway who also manufactured Christian Dior Shirts, in 1982. Howie joined Pendleton Woolen Mills of Portland, Oregon in 1986 representing Pendleton’s Womenswear division in their New York office until he retired in 1998.

Howie and Ann lived in Darien, Connecticut prior to moving to Melvin Village. He was an active member of The Tokeneke Tennis Club serving on The Board. He also served on The Board of The Kingswood Golf Club while living in Melvin as well as being past commodore of the Melvin Village Yacht Club. Howie had many interests and hobbies over the years including tennis, golf, skiing, traveling and scuba diving. He and Ann dove throughout the Caribbean and enjoyed a trip to Papua New Guinea on a Mike Ball Dive Boat which was a diving highlight along with the Great Barrier Reef.

Howie treasured his family and many friends. He was known for his positive approach to life and his wonderful sense of humor. He is survived by his loving wife Ann, a son Howard Stephan Clarke of Marietta, Georgia, a daughter Kathryn Muriel Anderson of Grafton, Massachusetts as well as 4 grandchildren, Robin and Jonathan Clarke of Marietta and Emily and Brady Anderson of Grafton.

Calling hours will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday, February 23, 2007 at the Baker – Gagne Funeral Home, Mill St. Wolfboro, NH. There will be a memorial service at 10:00 a.m. Saturday February 24, 2007 at the Melvin Village Community Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to VNA - Hospice of Southern Carroll County, South Main Street, PO Box 1620, Wolfboro, NH 03894 or the Melvin Village Community Church, PO Box 233, Rte. 109, Melvin Village, NH 03850.