AMHERST, MA: Orrin Benjamin “O.B.” Clifford, recently of East Longmeadow MA, passed into eternal rest on January 8, 2024, after a long struggle with dementia. He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Nancy Burke Clifford, who cared for him with unwavering patience and devotion throughout the stages of his illness. 

Born in Augusta, Maine in 1936, O.B. was the only child of Elva Black and Halstead Clifford. He lived in Augusta throughout his childhood, graduating from Cony High School, where he met Nancy in French class, in 1954. He attended the University of Maine at Orono and graduated in 1958 with a chemical engineering degree. He married Nancy shortly after graduation and they returned to Orono where O.B. obtained a post-graduate certificate in pulp and paper manufacturing from the University of Maine.  His career in paper manufacturing and sales took him first to Frenchtown and Milford, NJ and then to Hinsdale, Illinois and to Basking Ridge, NJ. He retired from James River Corporation in 1995. After retiring from James River, he rejoined the paper business and he and Nancy relocated from Basking Ridge to Amherst, MA where they made their home until recently. 

Following his second retirement after working in sales for Esleeck Manufacturing in Turners Falls, MA, he devoted most of his free time to volunteering in the community. He became the President of the Cooley Dickinson Hospital Auxiliary after many years of tirelessly giving his time at the hospital. He answered phones, delivered flowers and assisted countless patients and visitors. Always ready with a joke and a kind word, O.B. made friends everywhere he went. At St. Brigid’s church in Amherst, he served as a lector, a member of the finance committee and an integral part of the fundraising team. He and Nancy chaired the annual Mardi Gras event and for years he worked to help organize the annual St. Brigid’s golf tournament. He used his persuasive sales skills to solicit prize donations from nearly every business on Route 9 year after year.

Nancy and O.B. enjoyed annual fishing trips to Canada and to Maine and their family trips to Ship’s Watch on the Outer Banks where O.B. taught all of his grandchildren how to catch crabs from the dock and how to surf cast in the Atlantic. He loved live music concerts and visiting major league baseball stadiums all over the country and was a lifelong Red Sox fan and frequent visitor to Fenway Park. He also enjoyed attending UMass football and hockey games and played competitive cribbage weekly at the Bangs Community Center in Amherst. He was a devoted “Gramps” to his five grandchildren and cheered them on at countless soccer, baseball, hockey, ultimate and tennis sporting events and proudly attended all of their elementary, high school and college graduations.

In addition to Nancy, O.B. is survived by his daughter Linda Hadley and her husband William of Longmeadow MA and their three children, Meredith (Jason Brown), Matthew (Sarah) and Andrew.  He is also survived by his daughter- in- law Christine Clifford of New York, and grandsons, Kevin and Brian Clifford. He was recently blessed with three great grandchildren, Hannah Hadley and Bodie and Otto Brown. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Tyson of Longmeadow MA, nephew Matthew Tyson and niece Kim Lavallee and their families, and two cousins, Cynthia Lagacé and Norma Vontell. He was predeceased by his beloved son, Jim, who passed away in 2017, and by his brother-in-law, Forrest C. Tyson III.

The family will receive visitors at Douglass Funeral Service, 87 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA from 2PM to 4PM on Sunday, January 14. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated by O.B.’s longtime friend Father John Smegal at St. Brigid’s Church, 122 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst MA at 10AM on Monday, January 15, followed by burial at St. Brigid’s cemetary. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in O.B.’s memory may be made to Cooley Dickinson Hospital, P.O. Box 329 , Northampton MA 01060-0329.

The family is grateful for the staff of East Village Place, the angels from Chanda Care and the nurses of Baystate Hospice for all their help and support of O.B., Nancy and Linda during the past year. 

Memorial Guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com