# A Great Man Has Passed.



## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

I really wasnt sure where to put this. Mr Clark was my neighbor growing up, he spent every night playing the bagpipes, many times I went over and just sat and listened, all the neighbors loved him . I always knew he was a great man, a true inspiration what he accomplised, with one arm he did more than most with two. Reading his Obit really proves what I knew all along. I hate when great men pass they leave such a void. RIP Sir you will be missed.

David E. Clark, 78 Obituaries SalemNews.com, Salem, MA

WENHAM - David E. Clark, a man of civic and professional service and a man who surmounted many hurdles life confronted him with, died Thursday, May 5, 2011 at his home in Wenham. He was 78-years-old.
Mr. Clark was born Aug. 4, 1932 and raised in Fredonia, N.Y. Upon graduation from Fredonia High School, he worked for a short time for The Davey Tree Expert Company. He then attended Ranger School in Wanakena, N.Y. He served in the Armed Forces during the Korean War (33rd Infantry Panama Canal Zone 1953-54). After military service, he attended Syracuse University (College of Forestry) and graduated in 1959. Upon graduation, he worked for a year as a Landscape Architect on a large naturalistic land development near New York City (Sterling Forest).
In 1960, he began a 50-year career with The National Park Service. He was hired as a landscape architect first stationed in the Western Office of Design and Construction in San Francisco. He participated in the design of public visitation facilities in Lassen Volcanic National Park, Crater Lake National Park and Lava Beds National Monument. He worked on master plans for Big Bend National Park, Platt National Park (now Chickasaw National Recreation Area), and Point Reyes National Seashore. In 1965, he was transferred to Washington, D.C., to what is now the Environmental Quality Division where he saw both the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act become law. He was awarded a Superior Performance Award in 1968 for "the outstanding contribution he made while serving on the Special Departmental Task Force concerning extra high voltage transmission line routings and nuclear generating stations. Such important areas as Antietam Battlefield, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Potomac River Valley, Saratoga National Historic Park and the Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge were involved" thereby protecting the integrity of these historic and scenic properties. In 1974 he was moved to the Northeast Regional Office (NER) on State Street in Boston. There he served as one of NER's regional environmental coordinators and always used his immense historical perspective to help his compliance colleagues make sense of difficult projects. Quoting from NPS "Morning Report", "Dave carried with him the highest stewardship ethic and was a friend and mentor to colleagues both inside and outside the NPS. His dedication and leadership will leave a lasting imprint on environmental programs with the NER and beyond." The current Director of the National Park Service Jonathan B. Jarvis said about Mr. Clark's career, "Your positive attitude, strong work ethic, and attention to detail were a source of pride and motivation to your supervisors and co-workers." He completed 50 year's service in the Government of the United States of America December, 2010.
Civic service was a way of life for Mr. Clark, and the excellence he carried in his professional career was a constant wherever his energies were directed. It was through music and history that he expressed this community identity. Mr. Clark had been well exposed to music and community bands throughout his youth. He had taken various instrumental lessons, but the baritone was his primary instrument. He had not played the baritone for 19 years but in 1968 when recovering from the amputation of his right arm he took up the baritone again "to see what I could do left handed." This began years of founding and facilitating volunteer bands to contribute and perpetuate the heritage of traditional military music and provide music entertainment for the town and other community organizations. Band volunteers often consisted of a range of youth and elders that provided an opportunity for learning, instrumental skill improvement and public service, an aspect Mr. Clark felt important to foster.
Some of Mr. Clark's community involvements included; "The Flags and Drums of Wenham", which represented Wenham in nearby parades during the Bicentennial, participating in the Clan Wallace Pipes and Drum Band and introducing traditional bugle calls and signaling while on parade. In 1980 he founded The Regimental Band of Wenham to represent the Town of Wenham in The City of Boston's 350th Anniversary Parade. This band was active during the 1980's when it was the official band to the Acadian Scottish Festival, made two appearances for the Queen's Birthday Celebration in the Boston Navy Yard, supported 21 surrounding town July 4th parades, 19 other parades and/or concerts in 11 different cities or towns and four historic sites as well as several appearances in St. Johns and St. Andrews, Canada. He founded the Enon Brass Choir in 1975 for the "Evergreen Community Christmas Carol Sing", beginning a tradition of brass supported carols and singing in front of the First Church in Wenham. He was a strong supporter of the Salvation Army and often organized small groups of 2-5 musicians to support the local kettles during the holidays. Mr. Clark also had a long standing involvement in Memorial Day and Veterans Day Observances to honor and remember those who gave great service in civic as well as military duties and believed this was a respect due all veterans. To honor those that served he would organize one of the many bands he founded, most recently the Community Band-Wenham, for the Memorial Day parade and often played taps at the Veterans Memorial.
In addition to Mr. Clark's local involvement in community bands, he was also an active member in the International Military Music Society, Army Historical Foundation, a founding sponsor of the National Museum of the U.S. Army and a long-standing member in the American Society of Landscape Architects. He was also a member of the Fredonia Presbyterian Church and The First Church in Wenham.
Mr. Clark leaves his wife, Barbara after 53 years of marriage; two sons, Scott and Mark and four grandchildren. 
He will best be remembered by carrying on those traditions and beliefs he worked so pridefully to perpetuate and foster


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## cc3915 (Mar 26, 2004)

Rest in Peace Mr. Clark.


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## ShmitDiesel (May 21, 2010)

RIP Sir, I always loved bagpipes.


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

RIP Sir


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## Rock (Mar 20, 2005)

They did a nice tribute to Mr. Clark at the Memorial Day Parade yesterday with his band playing at the cemetary. He was a very well liked man and will be missed. RIP Sir.


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## Guest (May 31, 2011)

RIP Mr. Clark.


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## LGriffin (Apr 2, 2009)

Sorry for your loss, 7.

Rest in peace Mr. Clark.


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## Nuke_TRT (Feb 10, 2008)

Rest in peace Mr Clark.

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB2Ad04mukI&feature=related"]YouTube - ‪Sgt MacKenzie - We Were Soldiers Soundtrack with Lyrics‬‏[/nomedia]


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