Nicholas Clarke (1977)

Unfortunately, I need to announce the death of another, Nicholas Clarke from 1977. Nick died on October 30th leaving behind his wife Linda and five children. He was privately cremated.
At school, Nick was well respected and excelled at sport, including representing the ACT in Basketball. Upon leaving Dara, it was noted by the “Old Boy’s Association” in the following year that he “gone to work at the Forestry Department at the ANU”. He finished up as Chief Executive Officer of the Australasian New Car Assessment Program.
Two of his classmates Shaun Gath and Warrick Smith shared some memories of their years together at Daramalan.
“I remember him as a friendly, good looking and talented guy. Always fun to be around and with something interesting to say. Nick was a fairly prominent student in 1971 in Six Brown doing the fandango with his charismatic teacher, Fr Frank Anderson, when we were next door living a more low-profile life under the kind ministrations of our own Mother Hen, Mrs Jones in Six Blue.
At the end of Six Grade he went away for about three years to the US, if I recall. Presumably a posting for his father. Naturally, during this relative eternity, we all forgot he even existed. So we were a bit surprised when he reappeared in Year 10 a fair bit older and wiser after his US experiences.
Most memorably, with a couple of others we formed a tragically bad attempt at a rock band called “Rubber Band”. The band had one performance at a music event in McCowage Hall and – after one embarrassing false start – crunched out a terrible attempt at “Can’t get enough of your love” by Bad Company. We then departed the stage never to return. He, unlike the rest of us, was quite a decent musician!
In later years around ’78 and ’79 he was at the ANU (memories at the Union Bar) the same time as me in ’78 and ‘79”.
Nick’s death notice summed his life up nicely, “family, Raiders, Brumbies, politics, travel, the coast, cars, fairness, equity, compassion, loyalty, sharp wit, cheeky humour, love, friendship and music, always the music.”
Vale Nicholas
30/7/1960 – 30/10/2022