Helen C. Clarkson

Helen C. Clarkson 1925 – 2022 FREEPORT – In loving memory of wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Helen Cornelia (Pratt) Clarkson. At the age of 96, on Saturday, July 16, 2022, she passed away peacefully in her beloved home on Flying Point overlooking Casco Bay. She was born on August 21, 1925 in Somerville, Mass., the oldest child of Albert Pratt and Marion Cornelia Pratt (Dwelley). The family moved to Brunswick, where she graduated from Brunswick High School in 1942. She then attended Bates College in Lewiston, where she graduated in 1946 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. Helen then continued her studies at Washington State University in 1946 where she met her husband, Vernon Albert Clarkson, on the first day of her arrival. She graduated in 1947 with a master’s degree in sociology. Vernon and Helen were married on August 2, 1947 at the Friends Meeting House (Quaker) in Durham. They proceeded to have two sons, Bruce and Robert, and a daughter, Joyce. After teaching for one year at Freeport High School, the couple moved to Corvallis, Ore. At first, Helen worked as a social worker for the State of Oregon, and then when the family moved to Raleigh, N.C., she became a professor of sociology at both North Carolina State University and Meredith College, a position she held for many years. In 1975, the family moved to Rhinebeck, N.Y. in the scenic Hudson River valley where she became the Dean of Admissions of Dutchess County Community College, a position she especially enjoyed because she was able to assist many adult female students overcome difficult personal hurdles and complete their education. Upon retirement, Vernon and Helen returned to Maine and built a home on a cherished piece of property her parents had purchased in 1946 on Flying Point in Freeport, the home she occupied thereafter in happiness and contentment. Upon retirement, Helen continued to generously donate her time and energy to many worthwhile causes, including being a valued member for 75 years of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and equally important to her, the Durham Friends Meeting, the Friends Women Society, the Freeport Women’s Club, and making countless quilts for ABC Quilts and Project Linus to bring a ray of kindness to disadvantage and suffering children. Helen was predeceased by her husband, Vernon; sister, Katherine; and grandson, Lee Vernon Clarkson. She is survived by her three children; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Helen had a full and wonderful life, spanning wonderous events in history, and to the very end of this chapter on Earth, was an avid reader, maintained an unforgettable sense of humor, and an unwavering love for her family and friends, past and present. She will be sorely missed, but never forgotten. Condolences and fond memories may be shared at http://www.stetsonsfuneralhome.com A celebration of a life well lived will occur at 12 p.m. at the Durham Friends Meeting Hall on August 2. Arrangements are under the direction of Stetson’s Funeral Home & Cremation Care, 12 Federal St., Brunswick, 725-4341. In lieu of flowers, Helen gratefully requests a donation to Bates College for the Vernon A. and Hellen Pratt Clarkson 1946 Scholarship, mailed to Bates College, Office of College Advancement 2 Andrews Rd. Lewiston ME 04240