Benjamin Stanley Clark

Benjamin Stanley Clark of Williamsburg, Virginia and Castine, Maine, passed away on August 30, 2024, after several weeks of health issues including kidney failure. Among his final words to his wife, "We have had a wonderful life together." Son of Phillip Dwight Clark and Dorothy (Greenwood) Clark, he was born in Boston on March 26, 1940, the last of six children.
He spent his childhood in a happy family in Newtonville, Massachusetts, where he made treasured life-long friends. At Boston University he was captain of his crew team and stroke oar. Ben served six years in the Massachusetts Air National Guard. During his working years and early retirement, he lived in Norwell and then Chilmark, Massachusetts.
Ben worked his entire career in eastern Massachusetts and, in his words, "enjoyed every minute of it". He was involved with computers in their early days, developing software for monitoring and managing the energy consumption in buildings, lecturing internationally, and teaching graduate school at Northeastern University. His expertise in construction scheduling led to a key role in the adaptive reuse of Boston's Old City Hall, one of the first reuses of historic buildings. He then used this experience to support the mayor of Baltimore's decision to keep and update Baltimore's city hall. His final endeavor was flaking, moving and reusing significant 17th – early 19th century residences and barns, including creating his own ca. 1735 homestead on Martha's Vineyard.
Ben had many interests, including period architecture, American decorative arts, antique autos, and sailing. With his wife Susanne, he delighted in a progression of classic sailboats, which he kept varnished to a high standard. They moored their boats in Quissett Harbor on Cape Cod, Vineyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard and Castine, Maine. They sailed into Canada and as far south as Guadeloupe. The Clarks loved the Maine coast, where they sailed for many summers and then lived on their boat for ten summers, making many special friends in Castine.
Ben thrived on large and small "hands on" projects - building and repairing. Among these projects was the creation of eight banjo clocks in the Willard style. In Tucson for twenty winters, he created a casita and a garage for his antique autos that looked like an old Spanish mission ruin, along with enjoying his friends, playing tennis, hiking and golfing.
Ben is survived by his wife of 58 years, Susanne Gould Clark, by nine nieces and nephews and their families, by Susanne's four siblings and their families, and by many friends.
A service in celebration of his life will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Castine on Saturday, September 14, at 11:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, a contribution can be made to a charity of your choice or to H.O.M.E., Inc., P. O. Box 10, Orland, ME 04472.
Arrangements by Mitchell-Tweedie Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Bucksport.
Per Family request, Please no flowers or Memorial Trees