ROCKPORT – Frederick William Clemens passed away peacefully March 15, 2009, after battling Multiple System Atrophy, succumbing to pneumonia. He was born Oct. 1, 1936, in Newburgh, N.Y. Close childhood friends, Jill Wagner McGrath and Peggy Thomas Westcott, recall his fun-loving enthusiasm for life. He was passionate about cars and construction projects – interests that would stay with him throughout his life. His parents, Harold and Barbara Rose Clemens, resided next to the golf course of the Powelton Club, where Fred made many enduring friendships. He attended Fessenden School, Andover Academy and Yale. While at Yale, he interrupted his engineering studies to serve two years in the Army out West, perhaps doing classified work; it was never made too clear to his friends or family. What is known, however, is that he did a bit of car racing on the side. After resuming his schooling and graduating from Yale in 1960, he took a summer job in Barnstable, Mass., teaching water-skiing. It was there that he met and fell in love with his first wife, Patricia Deane, upon hearing her sing at Barnstable Inn. After relentlessly wooing, and eventually marrying, Patricia, Fred went to work at Lockheed Corp. as an engineer, but it was too confining a life. After just a few years, Fred left Lockheed to take up his lifelong vocation as a self-employed entrepreneur by helping Patricia launch a successful silkscreen business. From there, he ventured into – and stayed in until his retirement in 2002 – real estate sales, investment and development. From his home office, 440 Commercial St., Rockport, Fred helped create many of the neighborhoods that are now taken for granted. In Camden he developed Norumbega Drive and in Rockland he built Jameson Point, all the while selling countless properties throughout Mid-coast Maine. A committed proponent of thoughtful development, he was both reviled and revered for his progressive ideas concerning local land use. A case in point would be the ever present “Let’s Cluster” button he wore throughout the early ’80s. Known around town as a ladies man, he enjoyed the button’s double entendre, although his main intention was to educate people about developing property that preserved open space by “clustering” homes on smaller lot sizes. He was an active Rotarian and a founding member of the Pen Bay West chapter. He was also a dedicated sailor and lifelong promoter of sailing and swimming. The highlight of many a summer for Fred was being race director of the Camden-Castine Race for Camden Yacht Club. With Lucinda Burgess, his second wife, he built a beautiful home overlooking outer Rockport Harbor and Penobscot Bay, which he later sold to George and Marie Underwood. Several Camden area residents recall Fred’s parties at Dutchman’s Ledge on Groundhog Day, as well as those held under the auspice’s of the Blackfly singles network – an informal club Fred began to enliven the Mid-coast’s social scene. In 1988 Fred married Sid Lefavour, but didn’t settle down. The couple traveled extensively throughout the world. During this time he obtained his private pilot’s license. Although he was never under one roof for very long during this period, he did slow down frequently enough to hone his skills as a doting grandfather, building his grandsons cribs, toy boats, train sets and a wooden replica of Noah’s Ark. In 2001 he married Susan Houget. When he fell ill in 2004 he moved to Quarry Hill, where staff adopted him as family. He was known there for his love of chocolate, taking it so far as to sell chocolate to the staff to raise money for his grandsons’ swim team, the Pen Bay Sailfish. Ever true to his fun-loving, rakish nature, during his final days when asked by a female friend if there was anything she could do to help, he responded, “Yes. You could take off your clothes!” Surviving family are his son and daughter-in-law, Fred and Jennifer Clemens and their daughters, Megan and Hayley; and Fred’s daughter, Betsy Clemens Saltonstall and her sons, Davis and Brooks Saltonstall. Calling hours are 6-8 p.m. March 25, at Long Funeral Home, 9 Mountain St., Camden. A celebration of his life is being planned for the summer and will be announced. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to CASAP, tax-deductible, benefiting Camden Yacht Club Junior Sailing Program, P.O. Box 204, Camden, ME 04843. Arrangements are with Long Funeral Home, 9 Mountain St., Camden.
FREDERICK W. CLEMENS
