John Bernard Clark

Dr. John B. Clark on January 2, 2026. He was 75 years of age. During a significant and unique professional and academic career,

John went from success in the field of public finance on Wall Street to a mid-life transition to higher education – serving as Interim President at a number of SUNY Universities, before becoming Interim Chancellor of the State University of New York from June 2007-June 2009, later moving on to serve in Senior Administration at the City University of New York, and finally ending his career as President of Western Connecticut State University from 2015-2022. He also served for many years on the Board of St. Francis College in Brooklyn.

John was at heart at scholar. He earned a BA in History from Providence College in 1972. During his time at Providence, he spent a junior year abroad at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. After serving in the US Army (primarily stationed in Bad Kreuznach, Germany), he went on to earn, while working, three Masters Degrees and a Doctorate: Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.), John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York (1977); Master of Arts (M.A.) in Economics, Fordham University (1980); Master of Arts (M.A.) in Philosophy, New York University (1984); Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Teachers College, Columbia University (2001). John’s doctoral dissertation was on the works of the Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman, the noted author of the classic The Idea of a University. John taught philosophy courses at St. Francis College for a number of years and at SUNY Stony Brook University for a semester. He published many scholarly articles. Two of the highlights of his scholastic life were being invited to guest lecture on the works of the Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman at Maynooth University, County Kildare, Ireland and on Higher Education in the U.S. & Britain at Cambridge University, England.

John was a member of a championship winning mile relay team at Cardinal Spellman High School. He received a track scholarship to Providence College. He loved the Yankees and Giants and, later, Notre Dame and Boston College football thanks to his daughters Catherine and Bridget. John made lifelong friends at each stage of his life – high school, college, Wall Street and higher education. He loved his family, his brother, his in-laws, all his many nephews and nieces and his many cousins.

Beyond his achievements, learning and scholarship, John will be remembered for his love of family, his faith and his pride in his Irish heritage, (he was especially proud of being a BIC – Bronx-Irish Catholic), his generosity and integrity, and, most of all, his love of good, long talks with family and friends.

John is survived by his loving and steadfast wife of 35 years Carolyn (Golden), his daughter Catherine and husband David Del Grande with granddaughters Keara and Grace (6 mos.), and

his daughter Bridget; his brother Brian and fiancé Kristin Burke and Brian’s children (his nephew and nieces) and their families: Christopher Clark and his wife Caitlin with their children Thompson and Penelope (age 11); Jessica and her husband Joe Conway with their children Rory (3) and Aidan (9 mos.), Brittany and her husband John Russell with their children Eleanor (3) and James (4 mos.), Kaitlin and her partner Alex Feig, Stephanie and her husband Maurice Goodwin, Alexandra and her partner Kim Ortiz; and John’s in-laws and their children (his nephews and nieces), Kathy (Golden) and Ray Baker and their son Raymond, and Chrissy (Golden) and Dennis Downing and their children John and Maeve. He was predeceased by his beloved parents John and Frances Clark, his in-laws John and Kathleen Golden, his sister-in-law Melissa Clark and his niece Erin Alexandra Clark.

Slán leat John, we love you and will always remember you.

Visitation will be held at Kennedy-Roth Funeral Home,

located at 41-45 58th Street, Woodside, NY 11377, on January 8, 2026, from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at

St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church, 58-02 Roosevelt Ave, New York, NY 11377, on January 9, 2026, from 10:45 am to 11:45 am.

The committal service will follow at Calvary Cemetery, 49-02 Laurel Hill Blvd, New York, NY 11377, on January 9, 2026, from 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm.