BRUNSWICK – Clarence Davis, patriarch, innovator, inventor, and aficionado of mismatched plaids, caught his last breeze in a dead calm on April 9, 2022 with his daughter at his side.

His delightfully long and colorful life began in 1925, born at home in Orange, Mass., to Grace (Sexton) and Charles Davis. Clarence enjoyed boyhood sailing, figure skating, honing the art of catching fireflies and attending movies. A fan of Rachmaninoff, he loved big bands, jazz and could play every instrument except the flute.

Clarence proudly served during World War II on the USS Hooper Island ARG-17 as a Naval Electricians Mate Third Class. In the years following, he married Pauline turning his skills into careers as an electrician and extraordinary mechanic. Ever industrious, a dumpster diver for life, he could find a second life for refuse and fix anything. No surface in his home was clear of a lamp, flashlight, clock or phone. Once, fixing a broken light by swapping its switch with a pull-down fire alarm, and when his granddaughter’s suitcase broke, he plastic-welded it using his collection of bread bag tags. He even manufactured a faux Christmas fireplace from reclaimed wood and a fan to flicker paper “flames”.

Clarence took the most pride in the family he created with Polly. Together, raising four daughters, later welcoming six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Devout and faithful, Clarence kept updated prayer list post-it notes around his house. Too busy to chew food, he preferred swallowing only, sticking to oatmeal and mashed potatoes giving him more time for bees, trains, and snow caves. He purchased commercial-sized birdfeed to attract and document birds in his yard; his only known enemies the hawks and squirrels he scared off his custom feeders by yanking a cord attached to a metal deflector.

Clarence is survived by his daughters, Alice Craig (Melvin), Joan Kinch (Kevin), Carolyn Cohn (Curtis) and Sharon Davis (Joseph Dwyer), six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and two stepbrothers.

He was preceded in death by his six siblings and his wife, Pauline (née Hobart) who, we are certain, welcomed him with a shared glad shout of “Wow!”

We will miss the twinkle in his eye, wide smile, clever mind, faith and grace. Romans 10:9-10, John 3:16, John 14:1-3.

Arrangements by Crosman’s in Lisbon Falls.

A visitation will be in Shiloh Church, Saturday, April 16, from 9-11 a.m., with a religious service at 11 a.m. Burial will be in Lunt Cemetery at a later date.