Michael W. Clark

Albany- EOCS (SCW) Michael W. Clark (Ret), 69, died Friday, December 18, 2020. Born in Albany he was the son of the late George and Camilla (Perrault) Clark, Sr. Michael worked for Verizon for 28 years, retiring in 2007. He proudly served his country as a Senior Chief in the US Navy with the Seabees. Michael was a founding member of Rolling Thunder NY5 and a longtime member of the Patriot Guard Riders. He is survived by his wife, Veronica "Ronnie" Plumer Clark; his son Brandan (Suzette) Clark; his grandsons, James and Michael and his brother George (Marilyn) E. Clark, Jr. Michael is also survived by several cousins, nieces and nephews. Michael served on the U.S.S. Saratoga for 2 1/2 years after enlisting in the Navy in June 1969. In the summer of 1970, Michael served as a Sideboy for President Richard M. Nixon while he was on the U.S.S. Saratoga and viewing the 6th fleet. He was then reassigned to N.A.S. Millington TN, just north of Memphis TN and served on the Admirals staff as her aide. In 1981 he joined the Naval Reserves and the Seabees Naval Mobile Construction Battalion. And served in battalions 12, 13, Augment Unit 133, 133, and 202. He retired from the reserves in 2003. While on his reserve weekend in Newburg NY there was a huge blizzard dropping nearly 4 foot of snow and it nearly shut down the eastern seaboard. He and the rest of his unit assisted the City of Newburg in removing the snow because as Seabees they could drive the large bulldozers and frontend loaders and dump trucks. Besides being one of the four founding members of Rolling Thunder NY5 Chapter, he served as President for 2 years and as l Vice-President for 2 years. We traveled to Washington DC for the Rolling Thunder Memorial Protest to bring awareness to the MIA's that have never been brought home and to bring awareness to all Veteran's issues. Mike was the lead in RTNY5 to assist NYRT3 in setting up a huge honor guard and escort to New Windson NY to open the Purple Heart Museum on November 10, 2006. He went to work for N.Y. Telephone as a clerk at the State St building in downtown Albany. Mike moved to the Spruce Street Garage and was an installation repairman. The company then transitioned to NYNEX and at that time Mike moved to Railroad Ave to drive trucks. He delivered all kinds of telephone equipment to Central Offices in all parts of New York State from Syracuse to Plattsburgh and to NYC and sometimes out on Long Island. The company again changed names and became Verizon. Mike also changed jobs and moved to the Third Ave Garage to be an Installation Technician. During his time with the telephone company he was assigned to the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, NY to help run the many telephone and data lines they would need. This allowed Michael and I to see many of the events at reduced cost. In 1991 there was an ice storm the brought the whole of the north country to a hault as almost every telephone and electrical line was brought down du to the heaviness of the ice. Once again Mike was assigned to climb poles and run wire so others may get their service back up and running. In 1992 there was a Nor'easter that slammed the Long Island NY area, so Mike and a convoy of telephone workers went there to do what they did so well. This storm brought record high tides and flooding. He retired from Verizon in October 2007. Mike volunteered with the American Red Cross and was instrumental is starting the Disaster Action Team. He worked every weekend for 6 years helping victims of fires, floods and any type of disaster. He arranged shelter and food for them and then assisted them in contacting the agencies that would continue helping them get back on their feet. Mike was an Assistant Scout Master in Troop 46 at St. James School and Church in Albany. He and our son Brandan went to the Scout Reservation at Philmont, outside Cimarron NM where they did on over 90 mile hike in the Southern Rockies. Hot, big hills and mountains, bears, wolves, and rattle snakes. They had such a good time! Mike was a member of the NYS Militia and had such assignments as being as escort for the families that wanted to visit the World Trade Center site after the attack on September 11th. He was in charge of the boats that brought the families to the site by water as there was no other way to get close enough to the site for them to view where their loved ones dies and allowed them to at least throw flowers into the water to honor them. His next assignment was to stand security watches in the Hudson River, again in boats, at the Indian Point Nuclear site in Peekskill NY for several years. From that assignment he went to the U.S. - Canadian border for security patrols, again in boats, on Lake Champlain, worked for several years with the Canadian Militia for searches and seizures of drugs and to prevent illegal aliens from entering the U.S. via water. Mike retired from the NYS Militia as a Master Chief. In the late spring of 1992 when our son Brandan was taking his 8th grade finals and his entrance exam for CBA, he and Mike decided to become divers. They took the course in Cohoes NY Community pool and both passed. Later that summer they both went to the Keys and dove everyday and even caught their own lobster for dinner everyday. George Clark, Michael's brother, and Mike worked successfully in having a grave marker placed in Gerald B. H. Solomon National Cemetery for their Uncle John. T/Sgt John Clark, U,S, Army Air Corps, was a radioman in a B-17 bomber and was shot down in June of 1941 over Germany. His remains had been buried in the local cemetery by the citizens of the nearest town to the crash site. His remains never came home even after an exhaust search by the U.S. Government and J-Pac and the German government and the local cemetery official John's remains have never been found. After all this, the U.S. Government allowed the marker to be placed in the area for MIA's in Saratoga National Cemetery. John also has a grave stone in Arlington National Cemetery along with the other members of the crew of the B-17. Island X10 Seabee Veterans of America - Life member and was one of the Island X-10 members that were instrumental in getting a memorial stone laid in the Memorial Walk in the Saratoga National Cemetery, U.S.S. Saratoga Association CV3 CVA/-CV60 life member Naval Enlisted Reserve Association - life member - member since 1989 N2XKW - ham radio operator Little League Coach - 1988 thru 1991 B-17 452nd bomber group - member (this group was very helpful when looking fir Uncle John) CWA Local #1118 - long time member and was union steward Veterans of Foreign Wars - Posts 6196, 8692, and 6776 Capital Area Chief Petty Officer Association, Inc. - long time member U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Corp. - long time member Fleet Reserve Association - long time member Destroyer Escort Historical Association - U.S.S. Slater - long time member American Legion - Joseph E. Zaloga Post #1520 - long time member H.O.G. Chapter of Brunswick, NY - long time member Mike had always been an avid walker and always took our golden retrievers Maddi, and SeaBee, when they were alive, and later in life he walked with Harpur. We got Harpur just to take care of Michael and keep him safe, She definitely did take care of him as she brought him home safely several times when, due to his Alzheimer's, he would forget how to get back home. They no longer walked after the second time she brought him home but the whole neighborhood would see them every day sitting together on the front or back porch. Harpur's job now is to be my loving companion. After all dog is God backwards and God is with us all, always. Michael and I have been together since the summer of 1967. All during his time in the active Navy from 1969 to 1973 and we married December 6th, 1974. He is my friend, boy friend, traveling companion, riding buddy and husband -- he will be greatly missed -- I loved you then, I love you now, I always have and always will. Till we are together again, Ronnie Relatives and friends are invited to call at the W. J. Lyons Jr. Funeral Home, 1700 Washington Ave., Rensselaer on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 from 9:30am to 11:30am. A funeral service will follow at 11:30am. Masks are required. Social distancing and occupancy limitations will be observed. Interment will follow the service in Gerald BH Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville. Those who wish may make memorial contributions in Michael’s name to Rolling Thunder NY5, P.O. Box 12363, Albany, NY 12212.