LEWISTON — Jere R. Clifford died Nov. 23, at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center after a brief illness.

He was born April 1, 1927, in Lewiston, eldest child of William H. Clifford Sr. and Alice (Sughrue) Clifford. Educated in Lewiston schools, he graduated from Tufts College and Boston University Law School. He was married on Nov. 29, 1958, to Elizabeth Schreiner of Regina, Saskatchawan, Canada. They resided at 6 Alec St., Lewiston for many years.

He practiced law in Lewiston with his father and two brothers first and then of counsel to Skelton, Taintor & Abbott, a total of more than 58 years. Active within the profession, he had been the secretary to the Androscoggin County Bar Association, a member of the Board of Governors and then a president of the Maine State Bar Association, where he commenced the bridging of the gap program under which newly admitted lawyers were exposed to practical problems in the practice of law. He also was a past president of the Northern New England Defense Counsel Association and a director of the New England Bar Association. He served as a member of the Board of Bar Examiners for the State of Maine for 16 years.

Service to the community included past presidency of both the Lewiston-Auburn Jaycees and the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce. Clifford had also been campaign chairman for the March of Dimes as well as campaign chairman and president of the United Way and president of Pathways. He also served for a number of years as a member of the board of directors of Central Maine Medical Center. He had been a member of Lewiston Rotary Club and served as a trustee of the Araxine Wilkins Sawyer Foundation.

Clifford’s government service was on the Lewiston City Council and as Corporation Counsel to the city. He had also been attorney for the Lewiston Urban Renewal Authority and the Lewiston Housing Authority. He took great pride in his longtime involvement with the Lewiston Development Corporation which he co-founded with his father and the pro bono work for it he did in its early years particularly with the title work and other legal services in establishing the Lewiston Industrial Park. Later he served many years as attorney for Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council. He had also been a member of the board of directors at First Federal Savings and Loan Association and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Clifford had been a long-time member of St. Joseph’s Parish and Prince of Peace Parish and was chairman of its parish council as well as a lector and member of the finance committee. He did volunteer work for the Community Concert Association, SEARCH, Lewiston Public Library and as a mentor in both Lewiston, Auburn and parochial schools. He belonged to Martindale Country Club for many years and was instrumental in bringing about the construction of the “back nine” and served on the committee in charge of its construction. He was an ardent Red Sox fan and enjoyed reading and classical music.

Survivors include his wife, Betty; daughter, Anna Marie Schukraft and her husband, Randall Schukraft, of Seekonk Mass., daughter, Alice Clifford and her husband, Terence Harrigan, of Bangor, and son, Douglas Clifford of Belfast; five grandchildren, Sarah, Briana and Matthew Schukraft and Liam and Maeve Harrigan; five brothers, William H. Clifford Jr., Peter Clifford, Father Richard Clifford S.J., Justice Robert Clifford and Dr. David Clifford and their wives; and numerous nephews and nieces and cousins.

He was predeceased by his parents; a sister, Constance Clifford; and brother, Paul Clifford.

Online condolences and sharing of memories may be expressed at www.lynchbrothers.com.