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HAVERHILL - Thomas H. Clarkson, 88, of Bradford, Massachusetts, passed away on Tuesday, October 13, 2020. Thomas will be always be remembered as a devoted husband and loving father of 5 children and 6 grandchildren.
Tom was the only child born to the late Marian E. (LaMere) and Thomas H. Clarkson, Sr. in Whitefield, New Hampshire in January, 1932. Tom’s father was a US Naval Chief Petty Officer and died at sea two weeks before he was born. He was raised as a boy in Whitefield by his grandmother Minnie L. Lemere and his mother Marian Clarkson and step father Dr. Phillip Weinberg until his passing. Tom attended the Whitefield public schools and St. Matthew’s parish where he served as an altar boy and Boy Scouts. He was enrolled in private school at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts at the age of 15. After, he attended St. Anselm’s college for one year and transferred to University of New Hampshire in Durham where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics in 1954. Tom was recruited into the US Army in 1954 during peacetime and he served two years stationed in Germany. He got to travel to Austria, France and Italy while serving overseas. He got out of the service in the fall of 1956 but remained active in the Army Reserves for 18 years.
Tom was employed at Raytheon in Malden, Mass and then Western Electric in Bradford for several years where he married and settled down to raise a family. He became a self-employed business man and co-owned and operated Curry Copy Center on Winter Street in Haverhill then later opened and operated ABC Copy Print for many years with his wife Eileen first on Emerson Street in Haverhill then moved to Bradford. After selling the business in 1992, he worked for MV Guard Services, Wells Fargo ATM division, Boston Communications cellular phone customer service, KEM Security Supervisor, and when retired worked as Auto parts delivery for various companies and volunteered at Ruth’s House. Tom’s wide range of music interests included listening to jazz music, polkas, and country western music. He maintained an avid record and tape collection over the years. He loved reading and travelling --especially a road trip cross-country with his son, Thomas D. Clarkson during the summer of 1988. He was fortunate to travel abroad to Italy and Ireland with his wife Eileen and fellow parishioners at Sacred Hearts Church. He enjoyed many years of family camping vacations in NH and Maine. Tom was a kind-hearted, gentle spirit with a very strong Catholic faith which was his anchor during his lifetime.
He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years and his caregiver, Eileen (Comeau) Clarkson, his daughter Margaret (Peggy) Cesati and her husband Michael of Haverhill, his daughter Mary Letares and her husband John of Manchester, NH , his son Thomas D. Clarkson and his wife Silvia of Bradford, his daughter Elizabeth (Betsy) Campbell and her husband Steven of Cibolo, Texas. He is survived by his grandchildren Alisha Carlene Cesati, Gina Cesati, Megan Coleman, Delaney Campbell, Ellis Campbell and Kyle D. Clarkson. Tom is predeceased by his oldest daughter Katherine Clarkson of Salisbury and his first wife Carlene Santarelli. He was a devoted parishioner and Eucharistic minister at Sacred Hearts Church and a member of Bradford Yacht Club and the Knights of Columbus.
Visitation will be held on Friday, October 16, in the Driscoll Funeral Home, 309 S. Main Street, Haverhill from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Services will begin on Saturday morning in the funeral home at 8:00 AM. Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Sacred Hearts Church, 165 S. Main Street, Haverhill at 9:00 AM. Interment with U.S. Army Honors will follow in Elmwood Cemetery, Haverhill. Please note to wear face coverings and social distancing measures will be in place. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to either Sacred Hearts Parish or the Sacred Hearts Parish Food Pantry both addresses are 48 So. Chestnut Street, Haverhill, MA 01835. For guestbook, visit www.driscollcares.com
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