Walter Clark

Cobleskill- Walter J. "Jack" Clark died Friday July 24th at Robinson Terrace Nursing home in Stamford after a declining illness. While his family was close, he was under the loving care of Catskill Area Hospice as well as the wonderful nurses & staff at Robinson Terrace.

Jack was born July 6, 1922 in Ticonderoga, NY. He was raised and educated in the public schools there. In his youth, Jack used to run a milk route, delivering bottled milk to homes, stores and restaurants before school started. He served in both the United States Army & Air Corps as a bombardier during WWII.

Jack married Lucille Porter on November 10, 1945. He attended Cornell and they lived in Veterans housing. He was a member of the Cornell College of Agriculture & Life Sciences Class of 1950 with a degree in Agricultural Education. He received his Master's in Education in 1960.

Jack taught vocational agricultural education, including FFA, at Chatham HS in Columbia County, NY. He received an offer to teach at Cobleskill Agricultural & Technical College (name at that time) and started in the fall semester, 1955. There he would make one of many of his marks in life with a career of 30 years in teaching and administration. He taught a variety of Ag courses in Animal Husbandry, Dairy Cattle Judging, Meats, and Ag business. He spent many years as Department Chair. In 1973, he was the first recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Excellence in Teaching Award. Prior to his retirement, he was Dean of the Ag School at Cobleskill for 3 years. During his teaching years, Jack oversaw a very successful dairy cattle herd at the College, working with his very good friend and former student, Alan Danforth. The herd had the longest consecutive string of the coveted Progressive Breeders Awards, for excellence in the area of Holstein breeding. In addition, at that time the herd was regularly in the top 1 or 2 for milk production in Schoharie County, thus ranking it high in the State as well. The herd also had State milk production award winners.

After retiring he worked an additional 10 years for the College Foundation in the area of Development. He developed the dinner-dance as a fund and friend raiser for the Foundation. Jack was also very active in the College Travelogue series.

He was an active and respected dairy cattle judge for many years, having placed first in the Hoard's Dairyman competition. He judged many county fairs and shows. In addition, he enjoyed the seventeen years he spent announcing the dairy cattle show at the New York State Fair. He was the first announcer at the NY Holstein Spring show that started in Cortland at that time, which is now a national show in Syracuse.

He had extensive experience with standard bred horses that included training and racing them at county fairs and Saratoga Raceway. He developed the standard bred horse program at Cobleskill College.

During his career, he was active in the Cobleskill Sunshine Fair in a variety of capacities; he was responsible for the College dairy and beef cattle exhibit He would become Race Secretary, coordinating the Harness Races. In addition, he served on the Fair Board and as its Vice President. 2015 will mark the first time in sixty years that he will not be attending the fair.

He had a passion for helping all people, young and old, but it was his work with young people that set him apart. He always encouraged young people to get an education, including his four children as well as grandchildren.

Jack was active in civic and community organizations such as the March of Dimes Annual Spring Walk and the Exchange Club.

Jack and Ceil went on many trips during retirement. They developed many good friends on trips to China, Russia, Europe and Hawaii.

He was predeceased by his wife, Lucille, in Oct. 2007 and his son, Jeffery, in May of 2014. He is survived by a daughter-in-law, Laura, of Saratoga Springs, sons: Robert, (Lorna) of Yarmouth Maine, John (Pat) of Mohawk, NY and a daughter: Mary Swartz (Doug), of Syracuse and Cobleskill both; his grandchildren: Julie Suarez (Darren), of Nassau, NY, Jill Wooley (Bob), of Columbus, OH, Jacklyn Gilchrist, (Grady) of Saratoga Springs, NY, Jessica Fabiano (Rob) of Cranston, RI, Daniel Clark, of Brooklyn, NY, Abigail Khoury, (Josh) of Portsmouth, RI, Nathaniel Swartz of Willow Grove, PA, Mary Murray (Blane) of Waterloo, NY and Andrea Clark of Cleveland, OH. In addition, he leaves eight great-grandchildren. Jack was blessed to have a special companion for several years, who he also leaves behind, Elaine Marcley, Cobleskill.

Calling hours will be 5-8 PM Friday, July 31st at the Mereness-Putnam Funeral Home, 171 Elm St. Cobleskill. A Service of Death and Resurrection will be held at 11 AM on Saturday August 1st at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, 121 St. Christopher Place, Cobleskill. Inurnment will follow with military honors in Cobleskill Rural Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked donations be made in Jack's name to St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, Cobleskill or Catskill Area Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., 125 Granite Drive, Suite 1, Cobleskill, NY 12043. The family is so thankful for the many caregivers Jack had both at home and during his stay at Robinson Terrace. The family is especially grateful to Hospice for the guidance, strength and loving care, especially in Jack's last few days.