Sunday, November 29, 2020

Shirley A. Davenport - Obituary - Dartmouth, MA

Dick Davenport's wife Shirley Davenpost's Obituary.  She was a terrific lady and organized and ran the cake sales that they had to raise money to save Camp Clark. Shirley was one of the many family members who tried to save Camp Clark from being sold in 1970-71. 

https://www.currentobituary.com/obit/248323    Submitted by Marylou Mandell

Camp Clark loses another senior member of the extended family of Camp Clark alumnus.

Thursday, November 19, 2020

The obituary posts about Pete and Clayton prompted this response from Alan Hastings

Your bringing back lots of memories........


Clayton Farnham. Counselor in Ted Babbit, the senior cabin, during the 1955 season and maybe/probably 1956. Song leader, extraordinaire. I believe he worked the waterfront.

I think Zimmie (Robert Zimmerman) was the counselor in Gordon Cabin in 1955. My first year at camp as a camper. I was 10. I believe he had a model T, which we piled in on occasion for cabin time. I want to say he was the athletics counselor. Spike Dennie was the assistant director during those early years(for me)

I believe the Uptons, Joe & Pete, also from NJ, I think, were on staff during that period.

Alan

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In an earlier email, in response to a question from me, Alan said he thought his dad was at the camp in 1946 and 1947. Then he returned as the director in 1955 until it was sold. 1970-71

Wayne

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Clayton Farnham, age 82, died 10-17-20 . Clayton Farnham, was part of a New Jersey contingent of Camp Clark campers.

Using Marylou Mandell description:

Clayton Farnham, another former Camp Clark camper.  Clayton was part of a New Jersey contingent of campers along with a kid named Robert Zimmerman who came to Camp for many years.  Pete stayed in touch with Clayton and his wife Kitty which was handy because we all lived in Atlanta.  Clayton was smart, successful and like most of the other campers, was a classy and quality guy.  You can see from his age that he was contemporaneous with Bob Dennie who taught Clayton to shave, along with Bruce Bochman, George Wright, Richard Davenport. Joe Larson and many others.  They all stayed together way after their camper days were over. 

Clayton's full obituary can be found here: 

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/atlanta/obituary.aspx?n=clayton-farnham&pid=196995283


1938-2020

Sunday, November 15, 2020

Pete Mandell passed away on November 11, 2020. Veterans day.

 I bring some sad news today. One of Camp Clark's oldest and best has passed away. Pete Mandell. Pete's dedication to the camp and his love of the camp can be seen throughout this website. 

When I started to tell the story of Camp Clark I knew and loved it was from the camp in the late 1950s and early 1960s.  Soon after I posted the first post in 2007 I got a note from Pete. From that moment on Pete and his lifelong friend Joe Larson, have been the storytellers, the historians, and the supporters of what is this website. Without them, and dozens of others it would have been a very short tale. 











Pete Mandell (L) and his lifelong friend Joe Larson (R)

Current picture of Pete supplied by his wife Marylou 









Pete's wife sent us a short note to tell of his passing. Marylou and I had a wonderful conversation about Pete and their lives together which always had Camp Clark not far away. Pete had been in the hospital for some cardiac issues but had been doing well. He was expected to come home in a day or two.

The following is an excerpt from a note I received today. Pete passed away on November 11th at 04:00.

Pete’s older (by 7 years) brother started at the Camp and Pete followed him as a camper in around 1939 when he was 7 years old.  He graduated from camper to kitchen boy under Floyd, the cook, and from there to junior counselor and then counselor and I think he worked the waterfront under Richard Davenport teaching swimming.  I think he was at the Camp up until at least 1953 when he was drafted.  He got out of the army in 1955 and after that went to Boston University on the G.I. Bill so he probably didn’t work at the Camp after that although he retained his connection to it and Uncle Bob, even going there for a few days in 1960 while on our honeymoon.  The Camp was his soul. 

This is a short clipping from a The New Bedford  Standard-Times dated August  24, 1946

Marylou has promised to send more of Pete's articles and memorabilia so expect more soon.