Paul P. "Buddy" Clark

Paul P. Clark, known to most as “Buddy”, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on June 30, 2026, after a lengthy illness. Buddy was born in Boston, MA, in September 1944 to Thomas and Helen (Francis) Clark, was raised in Charlestown, attended Charlestown schools, and, despite eventually moving to Wakefield, remained a proud lifelong “Townie”.

His childhood was centered around family, fun and odd jobs. He loved his mother’s cooking and spoke fondly of competing with his siblings to get the first or last helping of anything she cooked. He was a talented athlete, playing Townie football and baseball, and running track. He even began coaching a Charlestown Little League team before the age of 13. Before having a family, he was one of the best candlepin bowlers in New England with high average trophies in many leagues and nearly qualifying for TV matches on several occasions.

From a young age, he always loved having “a buck in his pocket” and began selling newspapers before the age of ten. He was proud of his work history and spoke of it often. He had the great fortune of being able to spend childhood summers in Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Essex, with family friends. While there, he would volunteer on fishing boats and ultimately became a caddy working at Essex Country Club. He really loved “caddy days” where he would get to play 36 holes or more in one day.

After high school, he was drafted into the US Army and became a Military Police Officer, stationed in Panama. He was incredibly proud of his military service and had fond memories of his time in Panama. In 1968, shortly after returning from Panama, he was introduced by a mutual friend to the love of his life, and best friend, Dorothy “Dolly” Burns. They married in 1970, moved to Wakefield and had two sons, Craig and Michael Clark. His family was always his number one focus and they enjoyed day trips to Rockport, vacations in the White Mountains, and in the 1990s, Buddy and Dolly found their happy place in Wells, Maine, where they spent summers for most of their retirement years.

Having grandchildren was one of the biggest highlights of his life and, as “Grandpa” to Camden, Shea, and Katelyn, was very involved in their lives from a young age. He was their biggest fan and loved watching them play hockey, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and anything (and everything) else that his grandkids participated in. Whether it was a practice, a game, a school event, or the kids needed a babysitter, he was there. He was incredibly proud of their academic accomplishments as well and each grandchild would benefit from his “green handshakes.”

Other than family, it would be remiss to speak of Buddy without talking about two things: the railroad and coaching. He was a career railroad man, at times driving the “wrecker” and helping put derailed trains back on the tracks. This was hard, time-consuming work, but he loved it. He spent over 30 years as a railroad man, was a proud member of the Carmen’s Union, and enjoyed his time at the B&M and Amtrak. When his sons became sports-aged, he would work nights so he could coach baseball and hockey, and even at times soccer and basketball. He was a phenomenal coach. He blended high-level expertise, especially around hitting a baseball, with a knack for making the game fun for his players. He believed that every kid should get their chance and he developed many strong players, and won a lot of games, with this approach. Even as a grandfather, he would dispense valuable advice to his grandchildren and their teammates. He was a long-time volunteer coach for Charlestown Little League, Wakefield Little League, and was a coach and Board member for Wakefield Youth Hockey.

Though the last seven months were the most difficult of his life, his strong spirit never wavered and he retained his sense of humor, and love of good food, until the very end.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Dolly, of Wakefield; his son Craig and wife Lynn of Woburn; his son Michael of Wakefield; and, his grandchildren Camden, Shea, and Katelyn. He is also survived by siblings Mary Settlers of Taunton and Beverly Bridges of Brockton. He was predeceased by brothers Thomas and William Clark and his parents, Helen and Thomas Clark.

Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Tuesday July 7 from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. His Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Joseph Church, 173 Albion St., Wakefield on Wednesday July 8 at 10:00 a.m. Interment, Lakeside Cemetery, Wakefield. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Buddy’s name to a veteran’s charity of the donor’s choice.