Donald W. Clark ’51

Donald W. Clark ’51, M.D., a lifelong learner and man of many interests, died on September 27, 2022, in Newport, New Hampshire, near his longtime home in New London, New Hampshire. Medicine, music, and the outdoors were central themes in Don’s life. After attending Dartmouth Medical School and earning his M.D. from Harvard, he practiced internal medicine and served on the staff of New London Hospital for 36 years. Classmates remember Don for the joy and enthusiasm with which he played the piano. “He was really great on the piano—almost as good as he was on skis,” one classmate recalled. His delight in music continued throughout his life; besides playing the piano he sang with several musical groups, including his church choir. Skiing was another of Don’s passions, along with hiking, biking, sailing in Sunfish regattas on Little Lake Sunapee, whitewater rafting, birdwatching, studying flora and fauna in New Hampshire woods, and playing golf and bridge. His curiosity led him to study and teach a class on Rumi, the 13th-century poet. He was actively involved with the Poetry Posse and continuing education classes at Colby-Sawyer College in New London and the Council on World Affairs. Don was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa and the freshman ski team at Dartmouth. He served for two years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy’s Medical Corps after graduation. Don’s father, Fred Clark ’23, and brother Jim ’54 also attended Dartmouth.