Mildred Rose Clifford

Mildred Rose Clifford, a resident of Falmouth for 56 years, succumbed to heart failure in Falmouth Hospital on Thursday, 6 February 2025 with her husband and daughter by her side.
She was born in Brockton, MA, on 19 September 1936 to Mildred Josephine (Jordon) Monahan and Arthur Leo Monahan. She grew up in Rockland, MA, spending 12 years in the Rockland Public School System alongside her eventual husband Charles Hovey Clifford.
Upon graduating from high school she enrolled in Chandler Secretarial School, graduating as a legal secretary. She spent 8 years working in the Bingham Dana & Gould law firm in Boston. Occasionally during her time at the law firm she would work overtime and return home on the 9:40 Buddliner out of South Station. On these trips, she would encounter her school chum, Hovey, who had a job at the Court Square Printing Factory in South Boston and would be returning home on the same train. Here the buds of eternal love formed to grow into a majestic bouquet to last for 60 years. They couldn't get married right away because Uncle Sam intervened for two years, three months and eleven days: a two-year draft, with the Berlin Crisis adding the extra time. The time Hovey spent at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, wasn't especially difficult as Rose would mail a box of home-made chocolate chip cookies and the Boston American Daily issues to her future husband. These were also much appreciated by the numerous Massachusetts boys in the barracks.
After Hovey's discharge, they were married in January, 1965; however, Rose insisted he finish his education and they moved to Northampton, MA, where Hovey got his Batchelor's at UMASS Amherst. It was at this time that their daughter, Sheila Alicia Clifford, was born. Rose used her secretarial skills working for professors and PhD students to support the family. Hovey's education next took the family to Del Mar, California, where he attended Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Here again Rose supported the family as a secretary for a local lawyer and as a proofreader and formatter of PhD theses for Scripps students.
She enjoyed many favorite family spots near Del Mar: the gentle sloping beaches, the San Diego Zoo, and listening to the call of the professional horse racing at the nearby Del Mar Race Track.
In 1969, the family moved to Woods Hole, MA, and finally to Falmouth, when Hovey took a job at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. An extremely talented self-taught seamstress, Rose worked for Park Cleaners on Scranton Avenue for more than 30 years, and sewed many Barbie outfits, knitted sweaters, and made a prom dress, for her daughter. Rose was a dynamo building a home, raising a child, and caring for Golden Retrievers while her husband spent many long periods at sea for the Oceanographic. She loved gardening, especially working in the dirt and planting her favorite dahlias: Kelvin Floodlights and Thomas Edisons. The front yard always featured a flower box with 13 pots of deep red geraniums. Nearby she would plant red and white impatiens and blue salvia. Her favorite trees were tall evergreens that encircled the house, an American Holly, a cryptomeria, a hemlock, a spruce, and two Japanese Umbrella pines. Her most cherished past-time, however, was attending performances of the College Light Opera Company during the summer months. She and Hovey had been season ticket holders since 1976. Most recently, Rose came to thoroughly enjoy exercise classes at the Falmouth Senior Center, and the fellowship of the other participants.
Rose was a precious, caring soul and often would melt her husband's heart by singing part of a song from Gilbert and Sullivan's "Iolanthe": "None shall part us from each other, one in life and death are we; All in all to one another – I to thee and thou to me."
Rose was predeceased by her parents.
She is survived by her sister, Anne Maria Monahan; her sister-in-law, Carol Cole of Willow Springs, NC; her husband, daughter, and several cousins.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of Rose's favorite organizations: The 300 Committee, the Falmouth Service Center, the College Light Opera Company, or to an organization of your choosing.