Northfield Mount Hermon
Class of 1970
Remembering Leslie Warren Clifford
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Leslie Clifford Obituary
Obituary published on Legacy.com by Dery Funeral Home on Feb. 12, 2025.
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Mr. Leslie Warren Clifford, 72, of Pittsfield, Mass., died unexpectedly at home in his sleep on Friday, January 31, 2025.
Leslie graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon in 1970, Bowdoin College in 1974, and earned a Master’s Degree of Education from University of Hartford in 1990.
His father, Stanley Clifford, and his mother, Ethel Skeans Clifford, both of Newfoundland, both predeceased him. He leaves his wife, Elizabeth Lewis Clifford, of Pittsfield and his daughter, Catherine Anne Clifford, of Brooklyn, New York, her partner, Dempsey Hyatt, as well as a brother Stuart Clifford and his wife Susan Clifford of Savannah, Ga. He has two nieces, Grace (Jon) Rivero and children (Jonmichael, Ella, Angel and Elena) of Mableton, Ga., and Amy (Joseph) Hill and children (Adrianna, Declan, Keira and Lachlan) of North Chesterfield, Va. He also leaves behind Elizabeth’s brother’s Jeffrey (Suzann Jones) Lewis of Brattleboro, Vermont, and sons Adam and Ned, George (Lu-Ann Fiore) Lewis of Framingham, Mass., and cousins Marc Teatum and Lisa Jacobwitz.
There will not be a religious service, but there will be a Celebration of Life at some point this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent in his name to the Island Health & Wellness Foundation, 354 Airport Road, Stonington, ME 04681, or Trustees of the Reservation, The Trustees, 200 High St. 4th Fl. Boston, MA 02110.
Les cast a wide net of relationships with many different people that he loved.
First and foremost, his immediate nuclear family: His wife Liz, with whom he just celebrated their 50th anniversary, and their beloved daughter Catherine. He met his wife at a Northfield Mount Hermon mixer when they were both 17 and the rest is history. Les and Liz have relished every stage of Catherine’s life from budding mathematician to ballet dancer to avid yogi to climate change journalist. Les, Liz and Catherine really enjoyed traveling together, including trips to Italy, Newfoundland and up and down the Atlantic coast in search of beach weather.
Les’s family of origin included his father, a rare book binder and dealer, his mother, an avid gardener and basket maker, and his brother, who pursued a career in the world of finance. Les’s mother inspired in him a great love of cooking. She raised an impressive garden, which was often the foundation of her recipes. Stuart and Les cooked many a Thanksgiving dinner inspired by Gourmet magazine.
Les taught all levels of high school math in six different independent schools. During his time as a teacher, he served as Department Chair, developed math technology and curriculum and inspired countless students, many of whom he and Liz stay in touch with today. Les also loved coaching: baseball, basketball and soccer, where his tough love served to develop many athletes and build teams.
Les’s circle of friends include many that he met while teaching. He traveled with them, shared meals with them, shared stories with them and exchanged sorrows and joys with them. In particular, the Gulottas and Romano-Meades have been friends for forty years.
Les felt very much at home with Liz in Pittsfield. He collected and read books about traveling, fishing, nature, and rock and roll. After retirement, he especially enjoyed watching basketball, baseball and football. He loved to sit on the screened in porch in the afternoon and evening and enjoy the sounds of the birds landing in the birdbath and the fruits of his and Liz’s garden. Late in his life, Les, a longtime fan of muscle cars, purchased a 1969 Buick Skylark, which he loved to take to car shows and drive the Berkshire County roads.
A celebration of his life during which people can share their thoughts and his impact on their life will be held this summer. If you are not able to join a celebration of life ceremony this summer, perhaps you could take a few minutes to reflect on Les’s impact in your life.
Jerry Fraser submitted the following:
Les was a good friend, a Mainer and a math whiz for sure. I remember sitting next to him in geometry (Mr. Piscuskas). For the first couple of months, I thought this was the easiest class I would ever take. After a while I was far less certain, and before long I was grinding. Les kept stacking 100s on quizzes and tests, and all the while his textbook squeaked when he opened it. He had a gift