Ralph Grames Clark

Waterford - Ralph Grames Clark, 89, of Goshen Road, died May 24, 2006, at Bayview Health Care Center.

He was born April 16, 1917, in Montreal, Canada, son of Ralph Lucas Clark and Sarah Grames Clark. He was a descendant of Henry Ward Beecher, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Hannah Dustin.

He married Jeanne Riddiford Chalmers on June 22, 1946. She predeceased him on April 13, 2006.

Ralph, a well-known local resident, was active in many organizations. He was founder and president of the Waterford Canoe Club and served as an alternate on the 1968 U.S. Olympic Committee for canoeing, representing New England. He also served as a U.S. member of the North American Canoe Racing Committee. The highlight of his canoeing career was in 1967, when he led a crew of seven Waterford Canoe Club members on a canoeing trip from Waterford to Expo '67 in Montreal via the Hudson River. He was also on staff of the Mystic Marine Museum for several years.

Ralph was past president of Waterford Little League South, past president of the Waterford PTA Council, a member of the Waterford RTM, moderator of the town meeting and served on the shellfish and harbor management commissions. He was past president of the Harbor Club and a charter member of Crossroads Presbyterian Church. He was a member of the Whalers Duplicate Bridge Club of Waterford.

He served as a State Fire Warden for 25 years and was a life member of Goshen Fire Department, Waterford. He was a member of the Niantic Bay Yacht Club and a member of the American Schooner Association and raced as a navigator on various schooners.

In 1986, he received an outstanding service award as a super volunteer for "untiring efforts on behalf of the Waterford Public Schools" from the Waterford Administrators and Supervisors Association. In 1993 he received the VFW's American Award and a Certificate of Appreciation from the town of Waterford. Ralph was in charge of construction for the road, parking lot, and bridge to Waterford Beach. He also constructed 40 ball fields in Southeastern Connecticut.

Ralph was assistant football coach in charge of kicking at the Coast Guard Academy, New London and Katonah High School, Katonah, N.Y.

Over a period of 10 years he traveled to British Honduras (today called Belize) and arranged delivery of three tons of school books donated by Waterford Board of Education for children of British Honduras.

Mr. Clark left Electric Boat in '42 to enlist in the Army Air Corps during World War II where he served as a rifle range supervisor. After the Army, Mr. Clark was assistant commandant at Admiral Billard Academy, director of Waterfront and captain of Schooner Yankee, a training ship for cadets.

He graduated from Mitchell College in 1949 and began building houses and later became a prominent blaster in southeastern Connecticut for many years. He also designed and built rope products for Jayfro Athletic Supply Co. for 12 years.

Ralph is survived by two sons, Stewart and his wife, MaryAnn, of Waterford, and Charles and his wife, May, of Anchorage, Alaska; a daughter, Priscilla Clark Peabody, of New London; five grandchildren, Scott Johnson, Jeffrey and Peter Clark, Jennifer Bergeson, and Raymond A. Peabody IV; four step grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by a step granddaughter, Lisa Dedrick.

A memorial service will be held at Crossroads Presbyterian Church, Crossroad, Waterford at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 17, 2006. The family will receive friends at the home of Priscilla Peabody, 321 Crystal Avenue, New London, beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, June 16, 2006.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 238 West Town St., Norwich CT 06360.

Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, New London is handling the arrangements.