Christopher Lacy Aston Clarke

Christopher Lacy Aston Clarke, of Liverpool, Nova Scotia, died on November 1, 2026, aged 86. A man of considerable presence, formidable charm and strongly held opinions, Christopher lived life with enormous enthusiasm and little inclination to do things by halves.

Born in Guildford, England, to Aston and Cecil Clarke, Christopher grew up at beautiful Wix Farms, where his love of animals, the countryside and a good story took root early. He attended Ampleforth College, the Benedictine boarding school in Yorkshire, where the monks did their best to instil discipline and scholarship. Christopher, meanwhile, was frequently in trouble for keeping an assortment of ferrets, mice and small birds in his room. His affection for animals, and his occasional disregard for the rules, would prove lifelong characteristics.

He gave Cambridge University a year, although his enthusiasm for university life exceeded his enthusiasm for academic pursuits. With family connections to Sir Eric Bowater, Christopher subsequently crossed the Atlantic to Liverpool, Nova Scotia, to begin a career with Bowater Mersey Paper Company. What began as a professional opportunity became the defining move of his life.

Upon arriving in Liverpool, Christopher took up residence at the Mersey Hotel, where a lovely young woman named Peggy Richards worked at the front desk. It wasn't long before Peggy became his wife, and Liverpool became his home.

Together, Christopher and Peggy built a wonderful life, raising their daughters, Teresa and Julia, in a household filled with family, friends, horses, dogs and beautiful gardens. Christopher was a devoted husband and father, and later a proud and affectionate grandfather to Claudia and Ian Watt. For all his public accomplishments and larger-than-life personality, his family was always at the centre of his world.

Christopher was predeceased by his beloved Peggy, whose later years were marked by Alzheimer's disease, and more recently by their daughter Teresa, who died at just 62 following a difficult battle with cancer. These were profound losses.

Christopher was happiest outdoors, particularly in the woods and on the lakes and rivers of Queens County. He was an avid fisherman and canoeist, despite the inconvenient fact that he couldn't swim. He spent many happy hours fly fishing on the Mersey River with his father-in-law, the two of them with cigars firmly in place. He loved bird hunting with his English Pointers, rabbit hunting, and creating magnificent gardens. Animals were his lifelong companions, from the creatures he smuggled into his schoolroom to the horses and dogs that were such a large part of family life. He had little patience for the month of March, which offered precious few opportunities to indulge in any of his favourite pursuits.

Christopher enjoyed a long and successful career with Bowater Mersey, retiring in 1995 after more than 35 years with the company. He was a clever and resourceful businessman, with a gift for understanding people, recognizing opportunities and persuading others to share his vision. These qualities served him equally well in the years he devoted to public service and community leadership.

His affection for Liverpool and Queens County was deep and enduring. He served as the first mayor of the newly amalgamated Region of Queens Municipality from 1996 to 2000, returning for a second term from 2012 to 2016. His latter years in office coincided with the closure of the Bowater Mersey mill, a particularly difficult chapter for a community whose fortunes had been so closely tied to the company, and for a man whose own life in Liverpool had begun there.

Christopher's commitment to his community extended well beyond elected office. He gave generously of his time and energy to causes that mattered to him, particularly health care, seniors' care, parks and the preservation of the natural beauty of Queens County. He was instrumental in efforts to preserve Pine Grove Park for public enjoyment and supported improvements to Queens General Hospital.

Perhaps his most personal contribution to the community grew out of Peggy's final years. As Alzheimer's disease progressed, she became a resident of Queens Manor, where she received devoted and compassionate care from staff working in an aging facility increasingly ill-suited to the needs of its residents. Christopher was deeply grateful for their kindness, but equally conscious that the people of Liverpool deserved a modern long-term care home, one that would provide dignity and comfort to residents and a better environment for those entrusted with their care.

As chair of the Queens Home for Special Care Society, Christopher pursued that ambition with characteristic tenacity. He drew upon a lifetime of business experience, community connections and sheer determination to persuade governments, private donors and community supporters to commit the millions of dollars required. It was an undertaking that demanded patience, persistence and an extraordinary capacity to bring people together. Christopher had all three, although patience was perhaps the least conspicuous of his virtues.

The opening of The Neighbourhoods of Dogwood Lane in 2025 was the realization of that vision. Its name was chosen in Christopher's honour, recalling the dogwood trees he had championed planting throughout Queens County as part of a millennium project. Their blossoms have become one of the defining sights of a Liverpool summer, and the name was a fitting tribute to a man who loved both gardens and the community he had made his own. That the facility should become part of his own memorial so soon after its opening is especially poignant.

A consummate raconteur, Christopher understood that a good story deserved a proper telling, preferably to an appreciative audience and without undue constraints of brevity. His wit, intelligence, irreverence and unmistakable presence made him memorable company. He was genuinely curious about people and the world around him, and took great pleasure in the friendships he made along the way.

English by birth, Christopher became a Nova Scotian by choice and a Liverpudlian by conviction. He loved the town, its people, its rivers, its woods and its possibilities. He gave it his time, his talents, his considerable powers of persuasion and, on occasion, the benefit of his unvarnished opinions. He could be formidable, mischievous and wonderfully entertaining, but he was also deeply loyal and generous with his affection and his time.

Predeceased by his sister Valerie Clarke, brother-in-law Col. Robert (Cheryl) Richards, his wife Peggy and daughter Teresa, Christopher leaves his daughter Julia (Bradley) Watt, his grandchildren Claudia (Brendan) and Ian (Sydney) Watt, his companion Linda Frail and many dear friends to cherish his memory.

Liverpool will be a quieter place without Christopher Clarke, but each summer, the dogwoods will bloom again, an explosively pink and white reminder of a man who loved this place and worked so hard to make it better.

A celebration of Christopher's life will be held at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool on Friday, November 6, 2026, at 11am.