Our dear husband, father and grandfather John Clark died unexpectedly and peacefully in his sleep at home on December 29, 2018. He was 71.
John is survived by his beloved wife Christine, daughters Emma and Amanda, grandchildren Robert Fulton and Madeline, nephews Brian, Jon, nieces Jessica and Kelli, and their families. He was preceded in death by his sisters Mary and Shirley, brother Robert and parents Sterling and Elsie. He will be lovingly remembered by his extended family.
John retired in 2017 after 37 years as a professor of classics at Fordham University, where he specialized in medieval Latin literature, paleography and Roman comedy, and was a trusted colleague. He grew up in Dayton, Ohio, briefly attended Catholic seminary and earned his BA from the University of Cincinnati and his PhD from Cornell University.
A proud father and grandfather, John loved watching old Westerns and horror movies, cheering on the Yankees (and many other teams) with his daughter Emma, and going for scenic drives with his wife Christine. They visited the Eastern Shore of Virginia most summers and particularly loved the Adirondacks and Niagara Falls, both of which they visited many times. In his retirement, he had dreamed of visiting the Grand Canyon and Iceland.
John was extremely generous, principled, kind and completely devoted to his family. He was the kind of man who would drive hours to take his mother-in-law out for a favorite dessert. He will be missed tremendously.
The wake will be held Friday January 4, 2019 from 6-9 p.m. at Riverdale-on-Hudson Funeral Home at 6110 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx NY. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Saturday at 9:45 a.m. at St. Margaret of Cortona Church at 6000 Riverdale Avenue, followed by a cremation ceremony in the Woolworth Chapel at Woodlawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Red Cross.