Obituary of Robert Alfred Clement

Dateline: Northside Waterford, New York

Robert Alfred Clement was born on the 2^nd of September in 1944. He died on May 20^th on his way to Samaritan Hospital in Troy, NY.  Bob, by his own assessment, was living on borrowed time. His doctors were very surprised that he lived so long. He beat their estimates by many years. He was the 2^nd of six sons born to Mildred and Edward Clement. Bob is a native of Waterford, New York. He graduated from St. Anne’s School. He received his monthly report cards and diploma from Msgr. Surprenant, the same priest who gave them to his own father, decades before. He later attended LaSalle Institute in Troy.

Over the years, Bob worked numerous jobs. To name a few, he was a machinist, a church custodian, a carpenter, and an engineer on tugboats in Boston Harbor for many years. He used to say, "He was never one to see the ocean between his two feet while lying on his back on a beach."

Bob loved cars. In his early teens, he would repair “junkers” and drive them in the fields behind his house in Waterford. His passion for this inspired at least one of his brothers to love mechanical things.

Bob also loved boats. He always had one and most of them floated. Eventually his boat passion culminated in a position for him on Boston Harbor tugboats as their engineer. This job, treacherous in winter, and exhausting always, allowed Bob to embody all of his mechanical and nautical skills. It brought him up and down the eastern seaboard, and even all the way to New Orleans. He was one of very few to once hitch an overnight ride on the Andrea Gail, the fishing boat that would eventually sink, along with its crew, as recreated in the movie “The Perfect Storm”.

Bob moved from Florida back to Waterford years ago to take care of his aging mother, and when she passed, his father. This important commitment kept Bob busy for more than two decades and allowed his parents to live in their own home for many years until they died. While he missed the Florida climate, he felt the passion to do this for his parents.

Bob is survived by his children, Deborah Mitchell , Suzanne McCabe, and Robert Clement Jr.; his two grandsons, Drew and Mark, and his three great grandchildren, Logan, Declan and Rowin; as well as many nieces and nephews.

He is also survived by his brothers Jim (Mary Anne) Clement, Tom (Judy) Clement, Ray Clement and Dan (Celia) Clement. He was predeceased by his brother Ned (Grace).  

A celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday May 28^th at 6:00 pm in the Gordon C. Emerick Funeral Home, 1550 Rt. 9 Clifton Park, NY 12065. A calling hour will be held from 5-6 pm prior to the celebration in the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to an animal shelter of your choice in Bob’s name.

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