Mr. Clifford J. Post died on March 8 after a short illness. Originally from New York City, he most recently lived at the McCarthy Apartments in Melrose. Prior to that, he resided for many years in Gloucester and Rockport where he had many friends and loved ones.
Mr. Post distinguished himself on Cape Ann as a serious, talented poet whose occasional readings drew standing-room-only crowds. He was the poetry editor at the literary magazine The Larcom Review, where he sought to showcase a mix of new voices and established poets. He just completed work on a mystery novel, "Minky," set in the mid-60s in the garment district of New York City. Minky, a rabbi down on his luck, seeks to find the people who killed one of his friends. The clever, compassionate and witty Minky bears a stirring resemblance to Mr. Post. This delightful novel will be published as an e-book in the near future.
Mr. Post held many jobs from house painter to dishwasher to messenger in New York City to writer and editor. For a time, he ran a small print shop in New York City and after that, a chess parlor in downtown Gloucester. He joked that he had to leave the chess parlor business because he wasn't a good loser. He was an avid hiker who had explored most of the trails on Cape Ann and beyond. He was once lost for a day in Ravenswood and on one cold morning in October he got stuck in quicksand in Dogtown. It took him four hours to get himself out. He annually challenged himself by bushwhacking along barely discernible game trails in a remote region on the New Hampshire/Canadian border where bear, moose, coyotes and deer traverse. But most of his explorations were of a cerebral and spiritual nature. For many years, he was a devout, practicing Buddhist.
Mr. Post was a clever artist who produced many remarkable works, including a clock face that is a rendering of his face at the age of 40 and a stained glass flashlight. The gifts he wrapped vied in spectacle with the treasures inside. Besides his own self-portraits, he made drawings of his friends. His eye for beauty and love of flea markets resulted in comfortable, functional and striking living spaces both at his home in Melrose and, earlier, in Rockport.
Mr. Post was known by all to be a quiet, sweet and wise man who, though he kept a low profile, changed for the better many lives. And though he survived many close calls in his life, the short, difficult battle with cancer was one he waged with obvious ambivalence.
Mr. Post was born on January 28, 1946, in Bronx, New York. After traveling around the United States, he moved to Cape Ann where he lived until moving to Melrose in 2008. He is survived by his mother Natalie Post, his brother Leonard Post and Leonard's wife Susan Hauptman — all of New York City. Ardis and Rae Francoeur are loving friends. He was predeceased by his father Larry Post.
ARRANGEMENTS: A gathering of friends and family to share memories and some of Mr. Post’s writing will be held this spring. Assisting the family with the arrangements is The O'Donnell Funeral Home 46 Washington Sq., (at Salem Common) Salem. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com
