We regret to advise of the death of Colonel Richard Gerald Arthur "Art" Clare, OMM, CD (Ret’d) on 19 April 2017 just before his 84th birthday after an extended illness. Art served a full career with the Royal Canadian Engineers across Canada and in Europe and attained the rank of Colonel.
Art was born in 1933 on his parents' farm in Needles, BC. He enrolled as an Officer Cadet in Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean, QC in 1952 and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, ON with the Class of 1957. After completing his Officer Training at the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering in Chilliwack, BC, he remained on staff as an instructor for a year before being posted to Toronto with the Army Works Company as Works Officer and Second-in-Command. From there Art transferred to Camp Gagetown for a short tour as Troop Commander with 2 Field Squadron before being posted to 31 Works Section in Soest, Germany in 1961 as Second-in-Command.
Art returned to Canada in 1963 to Headquarters, Quebec Command in Montreal, QC as Works Officer and was then posted to the Canadian Army Staff College in 1965 in Kingston, ON as a student. Upon completion of this course he was posted in 1966 to his first tour in Ottawa at Canadian Forces Headquarters in the Chief Technical Staff Branch, Deputy Chief Construction Engineering as Staff Officer, Systems and Procedures. Art then attended the U.S. Armed Forces Staff College, in Norfolk, Virginia after which he was appointed Commanding Officer of 4 Field Squadron in Werl, GE in 1969. In 1970 he was transferred to Canadian Forces Base Europe, Lahr, for a three-year appointment as Base Construction Engineering Officer. He was appointed to the Order of Military Merit in December 1972 for his work in relocating the 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group from Soest and Werl to Lahr, Germany.
In 1973, Art returned to Canada where he was assigned to Headquarters, Maritime Command, Halifax, as the Command Construction Engineering Officer. In 1976 he returned to Kingston as a student – this time at the National Defence College. Upon completion of this course, he was posted to National Defence Headquarters in the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff Branch, Director General Military Plans and Operations, Director Continental Plans Coordination. During this tour, Art was appointed Project Officer of the Katimavik Project in 1978 and, subsequently, as Director Operational Program Control.
Art retired from active military service in 1985 and undertook a second career with the Public Service in the Department of National Defence Headquarters as Director General, Defence Program. He was appointed Chief of Program in 1990 and retired from the Public Service in 1991.Upon retirement, along with his loyal crew Nancy, he adopted a life afloat, navigating the lakes, rivers and canal systems of Ontario, Quebec and New York State in “Cocoon” - their 38-foot River Queen houseboat. An avid member of the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons, Art became Commander of the Britannia-Rideau Squadron in 2013.
Friends are welcome to attend a service at Knox United Church, 25 Gibbard Avenue, Nepean, on Friday, 19 May 2017 at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Friends of the Rideau (www.rideaufriends.com). {khMay2017}[zsp]
