BELLOWS FALLS-Dozens of firefighters, in full dress uniform and from departments in both Vermont and New Hampshire, honored Bellows Falls Fire Department Captain Lawrence S. "Larry" Clark in a solemn funeral procession on Oct. 11.
Clark, 74, died on Oct. 4 after a long battle with cancer.
Though he never married or had children, Clark's lifelong service to the community in several capacities - firefighter, fire safety instructor, school guidance counselor, uniformed services grief counselor, scuba diver, and local history expert - literally saved lives and positively impacted hundreds of young and old community members.
Fittingly, it was his department that announced on social media the news about Clark, who had served with the BFFD for 58 years, starting when he was just 16.
"Captain Clark joined the department in November of 1967," the fire department posted online, "and was pinned with his badge in December of the same year, something that he took great pride in."
He grew up and went to schools in both Westminster and Rockingham. His father was a printer, photographer, and teacher, his mother a journalist.
An older brother, Richard Clark, of California, survives, as do numerous local cousins.
Clark lived in North Westminster as a young child, but his parents bought a house on Steuben Street in Bellows Falls, where he grew up. He lived in his family home the rest of his life.
He graduated from Bellows Falls High School in 1968. He then attended the University of Vermont, where he served in the ROTC there. After graduation he joined the Army, serving overseas, and upon his discharge he returned to spend the rest of his life in his home community.
Clark would serve for 35 years as a guidance counselor at Bellows Falls Union High School and Bellows Falls Middle School. During that time, he continued his education and eventually earned his master's degree.
The outpouring of hundreds of comments this past week on social media gives an idea of the great cross section of the people Clark helped in a variety of ways.
"Oh my gosh, he was the best counselor I had in school!" one former student, Taylor Dufield, commented on the BFFD's post. "He was always so amazing."
"One of the best," wrote another former student, Samantha Barth, who said Clark's counseling "helped shape my education."
"He remembered the details that you would mention in passing even years down the road," she wrote.
Several mentioned that Clark helped them to choose their careers. Many of his former students would become teachers, and several would eventually work with him as colleagues.
Firefighters who worked with him wrote of how well he served as a fire safety trainer.
"His wisdom helped keep me safe all these years," wrote one firefighter, Nicholas J. Koloski.
Another, Kevin Rumrill, said of Clark, "I will always remember you taking the new guys on the department under your wing and making sure we were trained. I will always remember you as a mentor."
Clark's service to his community was constantly mentioned in the condolences and memories shared, and another theme emerged - that he was overwhelmingly viewed as a "really good man," whose kindness, intelligence, compassion, and humor helped make his community a better place to live.
Going back to 1968, the comments about Clark in his high school yearbook speak of his sense of humor and love of puns. He was described as "never in a bad mood."
"Larry lived a life of service," wrote fellow educator Susan Lockerby in a comment on the BFFD Facebook post. "He touched countless lives and remained so very humble. The response to his passing is testament to a life well lived. Rest in peace, Larry."
A career shaped by a tragedy
Over and over, Clark's friends and fellow firefighters say one traumatic event in particular shaped his career in the department.
On the night of Dec. 29, 1981, Clark was the first on the scene at the Star Hotel fire on The Square in Bellows Falls. Other early responders to the blaze included Brent Lisai, Terry Brown, and Dana Fuller. The three men entered the building together to search the upper floors for residents of the hotel who might be caught inside. Very quickly the fire and smoke became too much for them.
Lisai was able to escape the building, and all the residents were safely evacuated, but the other two were trapped on the upper floors and perished in the blaze when their oxygen tanks ran out.
Brown was 21 years old. Fuller was 25.
Their deaths were a shock to the community, and Clark took it very personally. It became one of his life missions to protect the lives of firefighters by training them in fire safety.
"Captain Clark became an instructor for the Vermont Fire Academy, working on new curriculum, teaching classes and spreading his knowledge of the fire service with others," the BFFD wrote.
Even after he stepped down as captain in 2002 and Shaun McGinnis took over as chief, Clark remained a safety officer for the department until his death.
He was interviewed about the Star Hotel tragedy in a 2021 documentary, Called to Duty, which honored the firefighters memory. Being able to talk about it, his friends say, proved therapeutic to Clark.
"Larry was a dear friend and mentor to us all," the department concluded. "He will be missed not only at the kitchen table in the firehouse, but on fire scenes as well."
Clark was also instrumental in creating a memorial to the fallen firefighters. The Brown and Fuller Memorial Park, on the site of the tragedy, was dedicated in 2021.
Town historian and master diver
Clark had a passion for local history and starting in the early 1990s, he volunteered for the Bellows Falls Historical Society (BFHS). He served as its vice president.
He focused his considerable intellect and prodigious memory on collecting and preserving as much of the area's history as possible, right up to his death.
Cathy Bergmann, the organization's president, referred to Clark as a "walking encyclopedia" of local history.
"All the questions about local history would always come to me," Bergmann said, "and I relied on Larry for the things I didn't know. I know a lot about local history, but I couldn't keep up with him, not by a long shot!"
Clark used his computer expertise to help the historical society digitize its collection of antique photos as well as his own considerable collection of hundreds of glass slides. He was working on that project right up til his death, and it still needs to be completed.
He also used his computer experience to help the BFHS organize its board meetings remotely when Covid interrupted in-person meetings.
"What Larry focused on, he was passionate about," said Bergmann. "And the people he worked with at the schools, the historical society, and the fire department, they all became his family. We're really going to miss him."
Annette Spaulding, a BFHS director and world-class scuba diver, echoed that idea. Spaulding said that she and Clark had been close friends for decades, sharing a passion for both local history and for scuba diving and exploration.
Spaulding and Clark "trained and dove a lot together," she said. They did so for area water search and rescue teams, and they also enjoyed the water recreationally.
"We had adventures all over the place," Spaulding said.
Clark and Spaulding also trained other divers and worked as safety divers for numerous scuba diving courses.
When Clark had to go into hospice in the final weeks before his death, Spaulding said she visited him every day.
"Larrry was a really, really private person," Spaulding said. "And he was the kind of guy who wanted things done right or not at all."
That became even more clear in his final weeks.
"All he talked about at the end were the things he wanted for his slides, for the BFFD, for the Fire Academy, and the Historical Society," Spaulding said. Clark wanted to make sure that his collections and work would end up in the right places.
Spaulding said that Clark didn't let go of life "until he knew everything was taken care of." Once he was reassured of that, he passed within a very short time.
On Saturday, following his funeral at St. Charles Catholic Church, Clark's ashes were silently transported to the Bellows Falls Fire Station on a fire engine swathed in black and purple bunting and followed by lines of dress-uniformed firefighters and first responders.
Last call at the station
There, Clark's "last call" was announced, and the station bell was rung, "signaling that Captain Clark has returned back to the station."
Captain Clark was then buried at Oak Hill Cemetery with full military honors.
Later that day, Westminster Fire and Rescue posted an online tribute to Clark.
"Rest easy Captain Clark," the firefighters wrote. "Your job is completed, your duty is done, we will take it from here."
This News item by Robert F. Smith was written for The Commons.