David J. Clarkson, 67
ADAMS, Mass. — David J. Clarkson, 67, of Danvers, passed away at home on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, surrounded by his loving family.
He was the husband of Ellen Kolis Clarkson, with whom he shared nearly 45 years of marriage.
Born in Adams on Oct. 29, 1951, the son of Lawrence and Corine A. Georgini Clarkson, he was raised and educated in Adams, graduating from the former Adams Memorial High School, and went on to receive his bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
His career as a certified public accountant and human resources executive began at Arthur Anderson in Boston in 1973 and continued with Caturano & Company and RSM until his retirement in 2014. Following retirement, David taught at Bentley University, served on the Foundation Board at Bunker Hill Community College, and was secretary of Ipswich Fish & Game, where he enjoyed shooting trap with his teammates throughout the year.
He developed new skills as a voiceover artist and expanded on his many hobbies, from making homemade pasta to gardening and playing guitar. He loved classic cars, including his Cobra, 1966 Mustang and 1957 Oldsmobile Rocket 88, in which he and Ellen had many adventures from rides up the coast to Maine and across the mountains to Vermont.
A resident of the North Shore since 1973 and Danvers since 1984, he was very involved in his children's lives coaching his sons in youth soccer and Little League baseball. He enjoyed bringing new experiences into their lives and encouraging them to follow their dreams. He was an avid outdoorsman and would take the family on hikes through the Berkshires, or simply trekking through their backyard hunting for "clues" to unknown mysteries. In his youth, he would
hike up Mount Greylock in the middle of winter.
David was exceptionally kind, giving and gregarious, making anyone who met him feel immediately welcome. He will be sorely missed by all who loved him.
In addition to his wife, he leaves his three children, Kathryn Clarkson Burne and her husband, Andrew, of Long Beach, Calif., Jeffrey Clarkson and his wife, Kimberly, of Gloucester, and their daughter, Dylan Rose, and Jonathan Clarkson of Dorchester; his sister, Nancy Kelley of Adams; sisters-in-law Dorothy Clarkson of the state of Florida, Gail Sellers and her husband, Phil, of North Adams, and Lynn Herlihy and her husband, Jim, of Pennsylvania; a brother-in-law, William Kolis and his wife, Donna, of Ohio; and his mother-in-law, Mary Jane Kolis of Adams, and many nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his brother, Robert Clarkson, and brother-in-law Martin Kelley.
Funeral notice: A funeral Mass for Mr. Clarkson will be celebrated at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 13, 2019, in Saint Richard Parish, 90 Forest St., Danvers, followed by a Celebration of Life tribute at 10:30 a.m. at the Danversport Waterfront, 161 Elliot St. Danvers.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Friends of the Adams Memorial High School (AMHS) Class of '69 Scholarship, 2 Center St., Adams, MA 01220 or Boston Children's Hospital, 401 Park Drive, Suite 602, Boston, MA, 02215. Online condolences and directions at www.LyonsFuneral.com.