Obituary of Peter F. Clark, Jr.

PETER F. CLARK, JR.

Born June 10, 1944

Died May 19, 2018

Hilton Head, S.C., formerly of Northport.

Devoted and beloved husband of Barbara for “almost 52 years.”  Proud and loving father of Christie D’Amour, Jim and his wife Kelly, and Terry and his wife Liz.  Adored grandfather and “Tapa” to Shannon, Andrew, Peter (PJ), Conor, Kyle, Hayley, Bridget, and Ryan.  Dear brother of the late Carol Clark, Nancy Rossano, Kathy Comiskey and her husband Brian, and Patty Clark Jacobson and her husband Neil.  Also loved by his niece Danielle, and nephews Joseph, Matthew, Sean, and Ian.

Pete grew up in Sunnyside and Bayside, New York.  He attended St. Francis College in Brooklyn and the University of Nebraska, where he received his doctorate in English.  Pete served as an English teacher at Northport High School for many years.  In 1977, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and moved with his family to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he taught English in a local high school.  He later moved into administrative positions in the Cold Spring Harbor and Northport-East Northport School Districts, serving for a decade as the beloved principal of Norwood Avenue Elementary School.  Pete capped his long career in education on Long Island with a return to his Franciscan roots as an English teacher at St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington.  Once a teacher, always a teacher, however, and even in retirement in South Carolina, Pete continued to volunteer as a professor of Shakespeare and film in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute through the University of South Carolina.  He was inspired each day by those he taught and his colleagues in education.   

Pete was a kind and selfless soul, the true definition of a gentleman, respected and cherished by so many family, friends, colleagues, and students.  He had a great sense of humor and appreciated a good laugh.  He enjoyed travelling with his dearest Barbara, reading, watching and discussing movies, listening to “Tapa” music, golfing, fishing, playing games with family and friends, gardening, and making the best pancakes in the world.  He was a long-suffering fan of the Mets and Jets.  He forgot more Shakespeare than most people will ever learn.  Every day was a good day for Pete, but if it involved spending time with his grandchildren, it was a perfect day.

Visiting Thursday and Friday 2-5 & 7-9 pm at Nolan & Taylor-Howe Funeral Home, 5 Laurel Avenue, Northport, NY 11768. Funeral Mass Saturday 10:00 am at St. Philip Neri Church, Northport, private cremation to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations toward a scholarship fund in Pete’s memory at St. Anthony’s High School, c/o Development Office, 275 Wolf Hill Road, South Huntington, New York 11746, (631) 271-2020, ext. 248.