Charles Hovey Clifford

Charles Hovey Clifford, a resident of Falmouth for 56 years, succumbed to the complications of a fall, on Monday, 24 November 2025, with his daughter by his side. He was 88.

Hovey was born in Boston, MA, on December 31, 1936, to Frances (Bullard) and Kenneth Clifford. He grew up in Rockland, MA, spending 12 years in the Rockland Public School System alongside his eventual wife, Mildred Rose (Monahan) Clifford. Summers were spent harassing snails and ddler crabs and building sandcastles along the shores of Buttermilk Bay.

Upon graduating from high school, Hovey took a job at Court Square Press in Boston. It was on the nightly train home from this job that he re-met his school friend, Rose Monahan, whom he would marry in 1965.

Hovey was drafted into the Army in November of 1959, attending basic training in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and liquid propellant school in Aberdeen, Maryland. He was permanently stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as a member of the 101st Airborne Division. After being honorably discharged from the service, Hovey nished his undergraduate education at UMASS Amherst in 1966, with a degree in Zoology, and went on to get a Master's at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1969.

Hovey spent his entire career at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), beginning in 1969, in the Biology Department. He transferred to the Chemistry Department in 1978, Alvin Operations in 1992, and retired as dockmaster in 1999. Upon retirement, he continued to be a CPR and First Aid instructor at WHOI and Falmouth Fire and Rescue and found his second calling as an enthusiastic volunteer WHOI tour guide. "Everyone wanted a tour with Hovey. His stories brought WHOI to life, and his guidance shaped generations of tour guides." said Joanne Tromp, WHOI Volunteer Coordinator.

Hovey eagerly anticipated attending performances of the College Light Opera Company during the summer months, and he and Rose had been season ticket holders since 1976. Most recently, Hovey came to thoroughly enjoy exercise classes at the Falmouth Senior Center and the fellowship of the other participants, but he was most happy spending Friday afternoons with his beloved "Happy Hour" group.

Hovey was predeceased by his parents, his brother (Roger), a sister (Stephanie), and his wife. He is survived by his sister, Carol Cole, of Willow Springs, NC; his sister-in-law, Anne Maria Monahan, of Hanover; and his daughter, Sheila.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, January 10, at 1 pm on the 5th oor of the Clark building on the Quissett Campus at WHOI. In lieu of owers, please consider donating to the College Light Opera Company or to an organization of your choosing, and please remember him when you share a funny sea story or walk your dog on the beach.