Published in the February 17, 2017 edition
MELROSE — Harrison Chandler Clark, 89, of Melrose and Truro, beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend, known as Chandler or Chan to those close to him, passed away at his Melrose home early on the morning of January 31 following complications from a stroke. He died peacefully surrounded by family and friends.
Chandler was born December 16, 1927 in Cortland, New York, the youngest son of Thaddeus Ripley Clark and Marlea Wells Clark of Marathon, New York. He attended The Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey, graduating in 1945. He was briefly in the U.S. Army Reserves before attending and graduating from Cornell University, Class of 1949. At Cornell, Chan was a member of the ATO fraternity.
Following college, Chandler worked in New York City in banking and then returned to Cornell Law School graduating in 1956. After law school, he returned to New York City where he met Judith Southerton. They married August 22, 1959 at First Congregational Church in Woodbridge, Connecticut. The couple lived in New York City until moving to Woodbridge, Connecticut in 1961.
Chan joined the New Haven, Connecticut law firm of Thompson, Weir and Barclay, later merged with Murtha Cullina of Hartford, Connecticut, and remained there as a partner practicing probate law until his retirement in 1989. He was a director and has an ownership interest in Ruane, Cunniff and Goldfarb, an investment firm in New York. H. Chandler Clark served as trustee for many years to Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, The Young Men’s Institute Library and The Grove Street Cemetery — all New Haven-based institutions. He was a long time member of Christ Episcopal Church in Bethany, Connecticut.
With his wife Judy, Chan shared a great love of Cape Cod and built a summer house in Truro, which had its first season in 1967 and has been expanded many times since to accommodate the growing needs of guests and family. The couple moved to Melrose in 2012 to be near their grandchildren.
Chan and Judy shared a great love of houses and places and, at various times, lived in Montecito, CA, Sarasota, FL, Charlestown, MA, Provincetown, MA and Quebec, Canada.
Always exploring, Chan and Judy became active in the Transcendental Meditation movement, and later, joined the Art of Living, led by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Chan was the president of Art of Living in the early 1990s and helped establish the program Prison Smart that brings meditation and peace building to incarcerated youth offenders.
Chandler is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Judith Southerton Clark; his two children, writer and producer John Southerton Clark, of New York City and Provincetown MA, and U.S. Congresswoman Katherine Marlea Clark; his son-in-law Rodney Dowell, and his grandsons Addison, Jared and Nathaniel Dowell of Melrose. Chan is survived by nieces and nephews Elizabeth Snider of London, UK, and Truro; John Thaddeus Clark of Oslo, Norway; Stephen Wells Clark of Los Angeles, CA; Marlea Clark of Brattleboro, Vermont; Kathy Jarvis of Palo Alto, CA, and Truro; Victoria Escalera of Wakefield, RI; Laura Gouillart of Concord, MA. and Martha Czaczkes of Madison, CT.
Chan was always the generous, fun and opinionated center of his family and wide circle of friends. Chan’s generosity of spirit and love were returned many times over. His family is grateful for his life and love, and we will profoundly miss him.
In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Alzheimer’s Association, 480 Pleasant St, Watertown, MA 02472 or @ www.alz.org in the name of Judith S. Clark would be deeply appreciated.
Services will be private. Arrangements by Gately Funeral Home, Melrose.
To send a message of condolence please visit www.gatelyfh.com
