Graduating high-school seniors still have time to apply for the Killingworth Ambulance Association’s 2024 scholarships, but the clock is ticking. The deadline closes this Friday, April 12^th, with all applications required to be postmarked or received by the KAA by that date.

Scholarships range between $1,000-2,500 each and are available to seniors from public and private high schools. However, to be eligible, applicants must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Reside in Killingworth.
• Intend to major in the medical, emergency services (fire, police, etc.) or allied fields.
• Plan on continuing their education at two-or-four-year institutions to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees.
• Have maintained a GPA of at least 3.0.
• Have performed community service.

Applications are available through the guidance offices at Haddam-Killingworth, Xavier and Mercy High Schools. Those that are mailed should be addressed to the Killingworth Ambulance Association, 335 Route 81, P.O. Box 749, Killingworth, CT 06419.

Recipients will be named at their school’s Awards Night, with checks issued when copies of first semester grades from secondary schools are obtained by the KAA.

Over the past five years, the KAA has awarded 17 scholarships, including three last spring. All three were females, the fourth time in the past five years that has happened. In fact, dating back to 2019, all but three of the 17 recipients have been young women. Only the Class of 2021 included males.

For more information, contact the KAA at (860) 663-2450.

If you’re a high-school senior who graduates this year and lives in Killingworth, the town’s Ambulance Association is looking for you. That’s because the KAA has begun accepting applications for its 2024 scholarships.

As it has in the past, the Ambulance Association offers scholarships to graduating seniors from public and private high schools. However, they must reside in Killingworth and plan on continuing their education at two-or-four-year academic institutions to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees.

In addition, applicants must intend on majoring in the medical, emergency services (police, fire, etc.) or allied fields … have performed community service … and maintained a GPA of at least 3.0.

Applications are available at Haddam-Killingworth, Xavier and Mercy High Schools and must be received by the KAA or postmarked to its 335 Route 81 address no later than Friday, April 12, 2024.

Recipients will be named at their school’s Awards Night, with checks issued when copies of first-semester grades from secondary schools are received by the KAA.

Over the past five years, the KAA has awarded 17 scholarships — including three last spring. All three were females, the fourth time in the past five years that happened. In fact, dating back to 2019, all but three of the 17 recipients have been young women.

Only the Class of 2021, which included three males, broke the streak.

Pictured above in 2021: Dan Perkins (c), flanked by Don McDougall (l) and Charlie Smith (r).

When the Killingworth Ambulance Association celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021, it called on some of its original members to attend a ceremony that October at Deer Lake. Charlie Smith, the KAA’s first president, was there. So was Don McDougall, who retired from the KAA last year after more than 50 years of service. And so was Dan Perkins.

Sadly, Perkins passed away last week at the age of 82.

Perkins was a lifelong resident of Killingworth who grew up on the family farm, helped with chores around the property (including milking cows, haying fields and caring for animals) and pitched in to help his Dad, known as Leslie, at a gas station on Route 80 next to the Sheridan farm.

He graduated from Morgan High School in Clinton and was actively involved in Killingworth volunteering for over 60 years as a founding member of the KAA, the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company, the town’s Historical Society, Killingworth Lions Club and Killingworth Library. He also worked at the popular Cowboy Valley, which opened in 1957, and participated in Killingworth’s 350^th anniversary celebration.

But it was as a volunteer in on the ground floor of the KAA that we remember him. Perkins was one of a handful of Killingworth residents who, in 1971, joined Walter Albrecht to push for a volunteer ambulance association. After one was approved at an informal town meeting, a group of approximately 25 volunteers — mostly married couples – formed the KAA, with its members on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“There were lulls in staffing,” said Smith in a 2021 video where he, McDougall and Perkins shared memories of the KAA’s start, “and there were lulls in funding at certain points. But we recovered. And look where we are now, baby.”

Yes, look. Today the ambulance association is housed in a two-story, two-garage building on Route 81, complete with EMTs on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are approximately 20 active techs now, each of whom is required to pass a rigorous exam that involves 180 hours of training. Plus, where there were once fewer than 100 emergency calls a year for a used 1964 Cadillac that served as the KAA’s first ambulance, there were a record 562 last year.

“Times were different then,” Perkins said in 2021. “We started with nothing, and it turned out pretty well.”

It did. Fortunately, Perkins was there to help with its growth, and the KAA — as well as Killingworth and its citizens — are grateful.

“Dan Perkins and his wife,” said Smith, “were the heart and soul of the early first-aid efforts that we made here in Killingworth. Dan especially had a real keen sense of good health care … good first-aid health care … and he accompanied us down to Westbrook when we went to the first-aid course sponsored by the Westbrook Ambulance Association just for us. We’ll surely miss him.

A service for Perkins will be held at the Swan Funeral Home in Clinton on Saturday, Feb. 3. Calling hours are from 10 a.m.-noon, followed immediately by a short service at Swan. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donation be sent to the Killingworth Ambulance Association, 335 Route 81, Killingworth, CT. 06419.

 

 

New Year. Same story.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Killingworth Ambulance Association in 2023 responded to a record number of emergency calls. This time the figure was 562, up slightly from 550 a year ago and 496 in 2021 … but a significant hike from 2020 when the KAA answered 370 calls.

That’s a 51.9 percent hike in just three years, and let’s be honest: What happened in 2020 … or didn’t … was due in large part to the COVID outbreak early that year. State and local shutdowns compelled people to travel less frequently until vaccines were available in the spring and summer.

But while the number of calls changed appreciably since then, the specifics have not. As usual, victims of falls last year led the list of responses, as they have almost every year, while sick individuals finished second. That, too, is consistent with ambulance history, as the past two years document.

Here are the top five ambulance calls for 2023, with the percentage of total calls in parentheses:

1. FALLS …. 122 (21.7 percent).
2. SICK PERSONS … 99 (17.6 percent).
3. BREATHING PROBLEMS … 54 (9.6 percent).
4. PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS/ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR … 44 (7.8 percent).
5. TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS … 41 (7.3 percent).

Now look at the calls for the previous year (2022). The numbers and percentages aren’t much different:

1. FALLS … 119 (21.6 percent)
2. SICK PERSONS … 104 (18.6 percent).
3. TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS … 51 (9.1 percent).
4. BREATHING PROBLEMS … 41 (7.3 percent).
5. PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS/ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR … 40 (7.1 percent).

If there’s a takeaway from the latest figures, it’s that responses – both in number and in cases — changed little from one year to the next. That’s one. But another is that the Killingworth Ambulance Association and its techs – all of whom are volunteers — continue to handle an increasing demand for their services.

“I’m relieved that the rate of increase has leveled off quite a bit,” said KAA president Dan O’Sullivan, “but I’m still hoping we’ll go back to prior levels , though I don’t think we’ll get all the way there. The thing that most pleases me about this, however, is that we continue to have very good coverage on our calls. A lot of techs stepped up to make sure we’re covering as many calls as possible.”

O’Sullivan should know. He covered the most the past three years, setting a KAA record with 283 from October through 2021-September, 2022.  But he’s not alone. Mary Robbenhaar-Fretz, husband James Fretz and Lisa Barbour joined O’Sullivan as the most active responders the past three years, with James Fretz only 20 responses shy of O’Sullivan a year ago (240-2020).

While the 562 calls works out to a daily average of one-and-a-half calls per day, that figure is a little misleading. Sometimes, the ambulance isn’t summoned at all. Then, it is. Frequently. In fact, on August 29 of last year, Mary and James Fretz were involved in five emergency responses between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

“And only one,” said Mary, “was mutual aid to Clinton. That was the last one. So it does seem to be ‘feast or famine.’ Sometimes, we’ll have zero. Then, we’ll have three.”

O’Sullivan has noticed, especially with calls down recently. According to records kept by the KAA, monthly responses dropped in December and have continued to stay there in January.

“Maybe things have peaked,” he said, adding that occasional monthly dips aren’t rare. “What happens is that there will be a couple of days where we have no calls and then a couple in a row where we have five or six. Those days where we have 50 or 70 calls a month are really tough. We’re continually stretching the staff to cover them, so we’re always looking for more techs.

“But, that said, I can’t express how appreciative we are to the people of this community. They regularly apologize for calling us, but we’ll tell them, ‘No, that’s why we’re here.’ We don’t want anybody worrying about calling at any hour of the day.”

–

(James Fretz, pictured above, and wife Mary are two of the KAA’s most diligent responders).

The Killingworth Ambulance Association is so active that each year it answers more calls than the one before. In fact, from October, 2022 through September, 2023, it responded to a record 581 dispatches, a jump of 43 from the year before and 122 from the year before that.

But those are just numbers. Someone must answer those calls, and that someone is a group of 15-20 volunteers who serve as EMTs and EMRs answering calls day and night … no matter the time … no matter the weather … and without warning.

Two summers ago, KAA president Dan O’Sullivan responded when no ambulance was available for what turned out to be an automobile fatality. He wasn’t on that evening’s schedule, but when he heard an urgent request for EMTs and Life Star he drove to the scene of the accident and assisted with the victim who survived.

Unusual? No. More like typical. It was one of 283 responses for O’Sullivan that year, breaking the previous KAA record of 207 set in 2019-20.

He, Lisa Barbour, James Fretz and wife Mary Robbenhaar-Fretz are the most active of the EMTs, handling more KAA calls the past two years than all others – often double-teaming as they combined for 1,409 responses, a figure so astounding that I had to know how they did it.

So I joined James and Mary Robbenhaar-Fretz on a cold and blustery November afternoon to observe first-hand what most of us can’t – namely, what an EMT does when answering a 911 call.

Here’s what happened:

12:04 p.m.  – It’s Tuesday – James and Mary’s day on the weekly KAA schedule — and the day won’t wait. Shortly after awakening, they answer a 7:15 a.m. call that turns out to be a simple lift assist, and within an hour they’re back home. But they return later to the ambulance building so that James can address an ambulance issue and Mary can inventory equipment in the attic.

And that’s when it happens: A page comes in from Valley Shore Dispatch in Westbrook, seeking EMTs to respond to a call coming from a Killingworth resident in distress.

James and Mary are officially on the clock.

12:13 p.m. – The ambulance exits the KAA parking lot, with James driving and Mary sitting in the passenger seat to his right, helping to navigate.

12:17 p.m. – They arrive at their destination, with James backing the ambulance down a short driveway.  When he and Mary emerge from the ambulance, there’s a surprise: The caller … and patient … is standing in the driveway, waiting to speak with them. Normally, patients are inside their homes awaiting help. But not here and not now.

A senior male, the patient is cognizant, courteous and in no visible discomfort. However, he immediately complains of severe abdominal pain, with symptoms that James and Mary seem to recognize. His condition is not life-threatening, but it can be … and, apparently, is …excruciating, according to the patient. After several minutes of questioning, Mary leads him into the ambulance, with James behind, and soon he’s secured in an upright position to a stretcher. On request, he rolls up the right sleeve of his plaid shirt so that Mary can monitor his vitals, including blood pressure. Then she and James cover him with blankets, set the temperature in the ambulance at 75 degrees and prepare to leave. As they do, Mary begins to review the patient’s medical history, making notes on a white pad as he speaks. She asks if he’s comfortable, and he’s not. The pain has radiated to his lower back, and it’s severe. Mary tries to comfort him, assuring him that the ride will be short. Then we’re off.

12: 23 p.m. – As we head south on Route 81, Mary sits to the right-hand side of the patient – approximately 12-18 inches away — and continues to write on a small sheet of paper as he responds to her questions. She’s calm, comforting and intent on engaging him in conversation. But he’s anxious and distressed and wants to know how long before we reach a clinic. Our destination is the Yale New Haven Shore Line Medical Center in Guilford, approximately 15 miles away.

Mary: “Usually, when we approach, we’re trained to assess the scene right away. So, when we walk in, we ask ourselves: ‘Is it safe?’ Then we put on our gloves. It’s what we call ‘BSI’. Body Substance Isolation, which is a system of generic infection precautions. It’s a nice day, and it’s dry outside. It looks pretty safe, and … wow! … the patient is right here, and he’s upright. He doesn’t have a traumatic injury, he’s alert and he’s oriented. So, right off the bat, we know it doesn’t look like he cut himself because he’s not bleeding, he doesn’t have a head injury and he’s able to tell us what’s wrong. And that’s great. But we knew from Valley Shore that he’d had a recent surgery. So this probably was going to be related to that. Why Guilford? Because he requested it. His doctor was in the Yale system, and he had his surgery at a location associated with Yale. Plus, all his records were there.”

12:26 p.m. – The patient continues to experience significant back pain and asks Mary to move him to a more upright position. She does, then punches information into a portable computer to her left. Now in visible discomfort, he asks if she can remove the straps tying him to the stretcher so that he can stand. “I can’t,” Mary says. “It’s not safe. Try taking deep breaths.” She asks if he’s had anything to eat or drink recently, and he hasn’t. Then he begins to cough violently. “We’re almost there,” she assures him.

12:37 p.m. – We join the traffic on Route 95, and it’s heavy. “Holiday traffic,” Mary says. Nevertheless, James is able to maintain a speed of 60-65 mph. By now, the patient is so uncomfortable he asks to have straps loosened so that he can sit more upright. Mary does what she can but reminds him that he must be secured to the stretcher. She takes his blood pressure again, checks his heart rate and is confident nothing … outside of lower back pain … is wrong. His blood pressure is good, and his heart rate is stable. It’s the pain that’s the issue, and she asks him to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 the worst. “An 8 or 9,” he says. Mary seems relieved. She thought it would be worse.

12:44 p.m. – The ambulance exits on to Route 77 in Guilford and takes a right-hand turn. Mary asks the patient to sign a medical form on her computer so that Medicare … and not the patient … is billed, and he complies. His pain hasn’t subsided. If anything, it’s worse. “We’re here,” she tells him, “and they’ll figure out what’s going on. But you should be OK.”

12:45 p.m. – We arrive at the Medical Center.

Mary: “I was just trying to make sure he was stable and that there was nothing else going on. He said he was feeling nauseous, so I was worried. But he hadn’t eaten much. So I think the nausea was from so much pain. I was just trying to get accurate vital signs for documentation and distract him a little bit to make him as comfortable as possible. Because we really can’t give pain meds, we try to keep patients as comfortable as we can until they can be assessed. I didn’t want him to stand up, but I did want to keep him sitting upright in case he vomited so he wouldn’t choke. Essentially, I wanted to keep him as safe as possible, gain an accurate assessment of his vital signs and get pertinent medical history for the patient-care record – information that might shed light as to what’s going on. When you get to the clinic, they want to know the story. But they also want to know his history, like what meds he’s taking and any allergies he might have. So you prepare in your head a brief report for when you get there, and I did. But there are a lot of things to think about.”

12:46 p.m. – James opens the rear doors of the ambulance. Sitting upright, the patient is lowered from a power lift inside the ambulance to the parking lot below, then pushed into the medical center … with Mary in front and James pushing from behind. They pass the front desk and walk to a station not more than 10-15 yards down the hall where the triage nurse is located.

12:48 p.m. – Mary speaks with the nurse and shares the patient’s medical history. He remains with James outside the glass enclosure and, remarkably, seems to feel better now. He answers Mary when she asks for the date of his prior surgery and information on allergies and medicine he should avoid. “They’re all on my chart,” he calls to her. James then attaches an ID bracelet to the patient’s left wrist.

12:51 p.m. – Mary and James wheel their patient around a horseshoe shaped hallway and take a left-hand turn into an area with an empty bed and curtain that, once pulled, turns the space into a private enclosure. They lower the stretcher, unstrap the patient and ask him to stand. He does, without assistance. Then he reclines on the bed, again sitting upright. James removes all towels and linens from the stretcher and deposits them in a hamper for dirty linens. Once that’s done, he pushes the stretcher out of the building and into the parking lot where he will clean it. Meanwhile, Mary remains behind, making certain the patient has his wallet before she gives a nurse her report. “It’s our division of labor,” she says, nodding to her husband as he leaves.

12:59 p.m. – Mary finds the triage nurse, has her sign off on the report and declares the trip complete. “That’s it,” she says as she packs up. “We’re good.” She wishes the patient good luck, and he thanks her. “Hope they get everything figured out,” she says as she walks away. He nods and waves.

1:09 p.m. –After cleaning the back of the ambulance and dressing the stretcher in clean towels and linens, James and Mary climb back into the vehilce,exit the parking lot and head for home –James again at the wheel, Mary in the back.

1:28 p.m. – James pulls into the KAA driveway and notifies Valley Shore that he and Mary have returned and are back in service.

1:29 p.m.: — The ambulance is parked inside the KAA building, and the engine is turned off. Mary and James walk to the office inside, sit down in front of computer and enter the necessary information to complete their trip. Within a half-hour, they will head for home … and wait on the next call.

James: “That was an easy one because everything went smoothly. What you’re worried about when you transport someone is the patient getting worse while they’re in the back. But that didn’t happen. The patient stayed stable, and there wasn’t anything critical as far as the status of the patient. But you can tell right away when you go into the call and start evaluating. You can tell when they’re talking to you … and, this case, the patient was conversant, alert and oriented. So it was pretty straight forward. We just happened to be in the building when the call came in, and we answered after the first tone. Simple as that. If you’re on call, you respond right away. And that’s what we did.”

No local EMT responded to more emergencies last year than Dan O’Sullivan, president of the Killingworth Ambulance Association. But he won’t be available this week … and not because he’s sick, injured or on vacation. But because he’ll be riding his bike.

For five days and 337 miles.

“I don’t know how much I’ll be able to do,” said O’Sullivan.

It doesn’t matter. What does is that he’s … well, back in the saddle of his Cannondale bicycle, joining the ninth annual Outreach for Haiti bike ride after missing three of the past four years because of physical setbacks. For O’Sullivan, who last year responded to a KAA-record 283 calls from September 2021-22, it’s a chance to do what motivates him most – and that’s volunteer to help others.

“It’s meaningful,” he said. “People always ask what I get out of it, and I don’t know if satisfaction is the right word. I’d say it’s more like a feeling of accomplishment.”

Given the distance and duration of this bike ride, that’s understandable. But that wasn’t what O’Sullivan was talking about. Assisting those in need is. He and wife Jan are so active helping others that one individual described them as “professional volunteers.”

The description fits.

Dan is involved in a myriad of volunteer groups, including the KAA, Lions Club, St. Lawrence Church, Parmelee Farm and, of course, the Diocese of Norwich Ride for Haiti. Jan is equally active, serving as treasurer of the town library and board member of the Historical Society, as well as helping seniors each spring with tax returns through the AARP’s Tax-Aide program. She’s also a member of the American Friends of Lafayette and associate editor of their Gazette.

Small wonder the Killingworth Lions Club named the two Killingworth’s 2022-23 Citizens of the Year.

“Being retired helps” said Jan, “but I’m busier now than I was.”

So is her husband, especially this week. The idea for a bike ride began in the fall of 2014 when Dan, then executive director of the Archdiocese of Norwich’s Outreach to Haiti, sought ideas to raise money. It was then he approached the group’s board and talked about a “virtual bike ride” across Haiti. However, one of the board members, Tom Campbell, heard only part of what O’Sullivan said and asked for a clarification.

“You’re riding across Haiti?” he asked in disbelief. “That’s insane!”

“No,” O’Sullivan said. “I’m talking about riding the distance from one end of Haiti to the other.”

As you might suspect, the distance is 337 miles.

“Ah,” said Campbell, “so you’re riding the distance across Haiti?”

O’Sullivan nodded,

“That’s still insane!” Campbell shot back.

Maybe. But the board approved the idea, the ride began and Campbell was one of the first to participate. And he hasn’t stopped. He’s one of a handful of cyclists who cover the entire 337 miles annually.

“He’s the most pumped to do it,” said O’Sullivan.

The ride normally begins in Maine, usually on a Monday at or near the end of September, and finishes the following Friday in Farmington. This year, however, the course originates in Cape Cod, where Campbell has a home, and winds through Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut – stopping at Connecticut parishes and schools paired with orphanages, parishes and schools in Haiti through the Outreach to Haiti program.

Per usual, it concludes Friday in Farmington.

The purpose of the ride is to raise money for the Outreach to Haiti’s dental and educational programs. According to the Outreach’s medical staff, dental assistance is one of the greatest needs in Haiti, as is support for the island’s students – with donations from the bike ride earmarked for both programs.

“Outreach to Haiti,” said Campbell, “is truly helping and changing lives in Haiti.”

In its first eight years, the ride for Haiti raised $200,000 in donations, O’Sullivan said — including $35,000 a year ago.

“Helping people,” O’Sullivan said, “is not a good enough goal or result. The benefits and rewards are that you end up spending a lot of time with really good people. I’ve been to Haiti a lot (an estimated 12-15 times, he said) and talked to the people we’ve helped. I talked to the students we gave scholarships to and the mothers and their babies who went through our nutrition program. Trust me, seeing it in action is a huge difference from just thinking about it.”

For more information, interested persons are urged to go the https://outreachtohaiti.org/ride-2023.

The Killingworth Ambulance Association will offer another in its series of EMT classes, beginning Monday, Aug. 28, at 6 p.m.  All classes are held at the KAA’s Route 81 headquarters.

The sessions are expected to last until December 9, with weekly classes Monday and Thursday 6-10 p.m. and five Saturday classes 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. The course is open to all persons 16 years or older, though students under 18 must have their parents’ consent.

The cost is $1,000, but that fee can be reimbursed. If class graduates are active members with the KAA for six months, half of the money is returned. If they remain with the KAA for an entire year, they gain the entire sum.

“From our aspect,” said Mike Haaga, the KAA’s Chief of Service who has taught the class with wife Marguerite for over 20 years, “we need more volunteer techs. That’s why we do this. One-thousand dollars is a very reasonable cost, compared to a lot of the other classes out there. So we do this, not for monetary gain; but to get more techs into Killingworth.”

The Haagas last taught an EMT course a year ago, their first since the winter and spring of 2020. COVID canceled the 2020 fall program, while a shortage of students erased the 2021 course. Last year’s class graduated five individuals, four of whom are currently among the KAA’s 25 active EMTs.

“Not only is it a chance to help out the community,” said Marguerite Haaga, the KAA’s vice president, “it’s a good step toward something in the science, medical and nursing fields.”

Worth six college credits, the course is highly recommended for persons interested in pursuing medical careers.

For more information, please contact the Killingworth Ambulance Association at (860) 663-2450.

(Pictured L-R: Ellery Freeman and Madison Fraser at the HKHS Scholarship Night)

Ellery Freeman and Madison Fraser are more than the latest Haddam-Killingworth High School seniors to win Killingworth Ambulance Association scholarships. They’re part of the fourth all-female cast in five years to win the annual awards.

You can look it up.

Dating back to 2019, all but three of the past 17 recipients have been young women. Only the Class of 2021, which included three males, broke a streak that began in 2019 with six females.

Freeman and Fraser continued that trend Thursday night when honored at Haddam-Killingworth High’s Scholarship Night, an hour-long event that included 33 awards. They are two of this year’s three KAA recipients, with Lyme-Old Lyme High School senior Charlotte Judge the third.

The KAA annually grants scholarships to high-school seniors who reside in Killingworth, have been accepted to a two-or-four-year colleges, plan to major in the medical, emergency services or allied fields and have GPAs of 3.0 or better.

All three of this year’s recipients are more than qualified.

Freeman will attend Franklin Pierce University, where she plans on majoring in psychology and hopes to gain an internship to help children “deal with psychological challenges any way I can” after graduation. Fraser will attend the University of Alabama and major in nursing, a field she chose at the age of 14 when her brother died in May, 2020.

“My goal,” she said, “is to become an ER nurse after my studies in college. I am planning to help the people I cross paths with throughout my journey as a nurse, just like the nurses that helped my brother.”

Judge will attend Colorado State’s School of Health and Human Services, where she will concentrate on gerontology.

The Killingworth Ambulance Association congratulates all three recipients.

(NOTE: Mark Clifton passed away on Feb. 24, 2023, at Yale New Haven Hospital, surrounded by his family. Mark was an EMT and former president of the Killingworth Ambulance Association. But he was more … so much more … than that. Ranger and Director at Deer Lake. Killingworth Citizen of the Year. Haddam/Killingworth Hall of Fame. Builder. Adventurer. Storyteller. Teacher. Mentor. And a friend to all who knew him.) 

Shortly after Mark Clifton passed away in late February, someone wanted to know if I had a favorite story about him. I told him I did. It involved an incident that happened at Deer Lake in the summer of 2019.

A father who knew Mark asked if he and his 24-year-old son, who lived in Georgia, could camp out at Deer Lake for the weekend. It was his son’s wish to fish with his Dad before leaving for military boot camp, and Mark said he understood.

So he gave his approval.

It was supposed to be a joyous reunion. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. The father collapsed one morning, the victim of a heart attack, and had to be rushed to the Westbrook Clinic where he died.

Mark wasn’t in the ambulance that took him there. But he was at the clinic. He’d gone into the woods to retrieve the victim from a remote location that was inaccessible to the ambulance. Then he volunteered to drive the victim’s son to Westbrook, where he remained for five hours to console the young man.

“I didn’t want to leave,“ he said, his voice cracking, “until he came to grips with his Dad’s death and went to see him. I knew how he felt. My father died in my arms when I was 15.”

Within that story is everything that made Mark Clifton extraordinary. He was kind… compassionate … dedicated … empathetic … and dependable. But it’s only one story. There are dozens more, all testaments to what made him a rare individual. I wanted to hear them, and I did. Now you can, too.

MIKE DORAZ

Pathfinders board member and former member, Scout Troop 490

“When I think of Mark Clifton, I think of him as an angel sent by God. I know he didn’t resemble what most people think of an angel. But it wasn’t his appearance that made me see him that way. It was his accomplishments. I believe that when Man acts contrary to God’s will, God sometimes sends an angel to correct those mistakes.

Mark Clifton was that angel.

He fixed problems, with Deer Lake a perfect example. The property had been declining for years after Ralph Hill owned and operated a beautiful camp (God’s work). But then Mark stepped in and restored it – and I’m not talking about just the property and buildings. I’m talking about the ability to foster God’s intentions through programs he implemented at the summer camp.

But I also believe God called on Mark to save Scout Troop 490 in Madison. Mark was its first Eagle Scout, and the troop once was in danger of being dissolved … that is, until Mark acted to save it. He became its Scoutmaster and had the Scouts run it.

Now, having Scouts lead a Troop instead of a Scoutmaster isn’t common. It was extraordinary. But it worked. It gave the few remaining Scouts the confidence to continue the troop, and the results speak for themselves. The group became the most successful Scout troop in the Council. Not only did it grow exponentially in numbers; it was the most awarded troop at every competition where it participated.

Mark Clifton guided the troop as he did most everything in which he was involved. He led from the side. He encouraged others to fulfill their potential, often causing them to reach heights they never thought possible. Never was that more apparent than his last demonstration of angelic power: He helped save Deer Lake.”

CATHY IINO

Former first Selectwoman of Killingworth and current member of the Pathfinders board of directors

“Mark was, ever and always, a teacher. Not the kind of teacher who stands in front of a room and gives out a list of rules. Not (usually) the kind who scolds. Mark taught by example … by story-telling … by engaging people and connecting them to work that needed to be done.

“Walking in the woods, Mark taught me to see layers of ecology and history. Facing issues with the town’s emergency medical response system, Mark educated me about the state and federal regulations, billing practices and institutional relationships. Fighting to save Deer Lake, Mark insisted on the fundamental values that were to be advanced there. Team building. Resilience. Honesty. Kindness.

“But I learned the most from the ever present sparkle in Mark’s eyes. That was a reminder to find delight in the world, whatever sad, annoying or infuriating circumstances you face. It’s a hard lesson to learn right now when we have just lost such a beautiful soul. But it’s what I wish for Mark’s wife, his children and his many, many friends.”

CHARLOTTE JUDGE

Former Deer Lake camper and CIT

“About 10 years ago I was a young camper at Deer Lake, and there was a thunderstorm that hit around mid-day. Being young and unaware of everything about thunder and lightning, I was terrified. All I knew was that a tree had fallen across Paper Mill Road, and parents couldn’t drive in to pick up their children. I was scared. All I wanted was the storm to end. That’s when one person came to us, making sure everyone felt safe and comfortable. That was Mark Clifton … or Ranger Mark, as we knew him.

‘Don’t worry, guys,’ he told us. ‘ You all will get home safe and sound. But, for now, let’s go to Leary Hall.’

So we did. He saw me crying and went out of his way to assure me that all would be OK. I remember suddenly feeling relaxed and safe. I never thought about that until I was older, realizing it wasn’t just a random act of kindness … but who Ranger Mark was: Someone who made the world feel safer. I will forever miss his jokes, his smile and his kindness. He’s a legend, and I will never forget him.”

DON McDOUGALL

Former Killingworth EMT and KAA board member

“When they first opened Deer Lake for camping, I went down there with the Boy Scouts for a weekend camping trip. The housing was in such bad shape that the buildings looked as if they should be torn down. But over the years, Mark and Patty made fantastic improvements to the property. Even my grandson, who was at the 50^th anniversary for the Killingworth Ambulance Association at Deer Lake (October, 2021), couldn’t get over how much the property had changed since he was camping there with the Boy Scouts. Mark always seemed to have a positive attitude, and I will always remember that.”

 

JAY POTTER

Facilitator for team building programs at Deer Lake

“Several years ago, I happened to run into Mark’s son, Forrest, at a meeting of a professional organization. At the end of the program, many of the participants jumped in to help each other put the borrowed meeting space back in order. Forrest grabbed a push broom. Even if I had never met Forrest before, I would have confidently recognized him as a graduate of the Mark Clifton School of Sweeping. No one who had gotten lessons from Mark in sweeping the Deer Lake dining hall would have failed to notice that Forrest was using the same precise technique and procedure – “The Method” – that Mark had shown would do a polished, efficient and thorough job without stirring dust that would settle later. How many of us have received that same lesson?

“I never think of Mark as a rigid or procedure-bound man, but there were some activities for which he knew there was a Right Way. Whether it was designing the sequence of a daily or weekly program  week, setting up a rock-climbing site, belaying, leading a group of novice canoeists, storing and maintaining equipment, sweeping a large floor … or countless other activities … there are things that can allow individual creativity and variation.

“And then there are things that must be done the Right Way.

“He was a patient and thorough teacher, reinforcing fundamentals again and again whenever there was a Right Way to get things done. Mark’s attitude of Doing It Right has been frequently echoing within me for decades … and will long continue to do so.

LENA RIMMER

Former camper and current lifeguard at Deer Lake

“As a camper my entire childhood, I always saw Mark Clifton as a stranger behind the scenes. It wasn’t until Wilderness School that I really met him. That’s when he’d come to us with project suggestions, floor-sweeping tutorials and demos on wilderness survival as he got to know us. By my third year of Wilderness School, this became a routine. Mark would steal the ‘third-years’ away to practice tying knots or set up climbs for the rest of the group. He not only talked to us about skills we were learning but regaled us with stories about the history of our gear and taught us to make harnesses out of webbing.

“By the end of summer, he and Patty held a makeshift graduation for me and two other ‘third-years.’ We were given a spool of webbing and instructions how to retie the harness. Then we were crowned with a specific title related to a skill we learned from Mark. Mine was knot-tying. We practiced tying knots so much that we could pretty much tie a bowline on a bite behind our backs … and with our eyes closed.

“When I think of what Mark did for me, I’m reminded how much he trusted me with responsibility and pushed me to be confident in my skills. After my first year of Wilderness School, he asked me to return in the fall and help ‘belay’ for rock-climbing crews. I was only 15 then. So it meant a lot that he saw me as someone who could be a leader. It made me confident in my skills and in myself. Over the next few years, I continued to return to Deer Lake in the spring, summer and fall. Mark instilled values of hard work, leadership and teamwork in me and so many others, and, with his support, I trusted my skills and learned not be intimidated by others.”

DICK BAUER

Former chief of the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company, longtime KAA member

“Every time we were on a medical call together, whether I was there with the KVFC or part of Mark’s crew on the ambulance, he always … always … made a point to look me in the eyes and say, ‘Thank you for responding’ or ‘Thank you for helping out.’ At first, I didn’t think much about it. Then it hit me. Why is he thanking me … and us? He’s out here, too. Who’s thanking him? Mark was selfless in so many ways and never wanted the spotlight – always going out of his way to acknowledge people’s efforts. Day. Night. Rain. Snow. It didn’t matter. He was always there.

“Mark bled the KAA. He recognized that we needed EMTs and business-minded folks to help on the board. Said differently: He broke the cycle of ‘everyone has to be an EMT’ and recruited fresh blood to the team. And look what happened: Dan (KAA president Dan O’Sullivan) got stung by the bee and became an EMT. “Fretz X 2” (board members James and Mary Robbenhaar-Fretz, both EMTs), too. The organization is stronger because of Mark’s constant efforts to recruit.

“I still chuckle when I remember Mark’s Monday night trips to the ‘Griz’ (Griswold Inn) to grab a pint and sing sea chanties with random people. He’d belt out those songs, swinging his pint of beer in the air, adding his baritone voice to the sailors. All with that infectious smile that we remember.

“I could go on. Coffee stories. Picnics at Deer Lake. The Rovers. Hosting Christmas parties at his house. His generosity had no limits. None.”

JIM LALLY

Former Killingworth Ambulance Association (KAA) president

“When you would talk to him at ambulance board meetings, he’d tilt his head to give you his full attention. He would get fired up about a new idea and always offered additional input. But if he didn’t approve, he would stand by his convictions to show a way better. He was a Clydesdale, a work horse who would take on projects and run with them … and do it with a smile. I attended a town picnic with Mark’s organization at Deer Lake where we had cow bingo with our cows. Mark’s idea. As a Killingworth resident for many years, I had never seen Deer Lake. So it was a perfect opportunity for residents like me to visit this pristine park setting, and Mark was the perfect host. He organized, oversaw and maintained the picnic so there was a flow to take in the events. A superb job. Mark Clifton was one of a kind, and I will miss him.”

TOM FEINER

Assistant Scoutmaster Troop 490 in Madison and current board member of Pathfinders

“I met Mark Clifton in the fall of 1972 when St. Andrew’s Church started Troop 490. Mark and another young man, Jeffrey Etherington, were going to be the senior leaders. Mark was already well on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout and achieved that rank the following year. We went on many amazing trips into the White Mountains of New Hampshire where Scouts learned knot tying, fire building and first aid from Mark. Mark once took four of us on what became known as the “Presidential Range Death March,” covering well over 15 miles. He had to stop a number of times to come back and tell a few of us that, if we didn’t get up and continue walking, we would die above the tree line. That, my friends, is a serious fact of the White Mountains. I will always cherish the memories I have of camping with him.”

TED LANGEVIN

Former Deer Lake Maintenance chairman, Scoutmaster, Cubmaster and current president of Pathfinders

“Mark was a great teacher. He had a way of just showing up where people were gathered and doing something that would interest the group. Before long, he’d get a few people to watch what he was doing, and he’d offer to teach them. As they were learning, Mark had a unique way of making them feel they could do what he was teaching … and that spurred them on to learn more. I don’t think I have ever seen a more effective way to teach the skills Mark taught to so many people.”

PAT MILLER

Killingworth Ambulance Association board member and former EMT

“Mark had the biggest heart of perhaps anyone I’ve known. We first me in high school, and I was fortunate to reacquaint with him over 20 years ago. That’s when I joined the KAA as a board member and EMT, working alongside him as he patiently and willingly shared his many years of practical experience. It’s also where I learned of a “typical Mark story” that I will share.

“There was an elderly couple that we responded to on many occasions – often for a “lift-assist” after a fall, with no medical transport required. On one such occasion, a late-morning 911 call brought the ambulance to their home after the woman had fallen. But upon arrival, EMTs determined that she wasn’t injured. However, she and her husband were still in their night clothes and unable to go downstairs for coffee or breakfast. So, once Mark and his partner settled her and determined that no medical attention was required, Mark headed for the kitchen while his partner completed paperwork.

“Not only did he make their morning coffee; he rummaged through the refrigerator to rustle up eggs and toast for breakfast. Then he served them with his good-natured smile. That was so typical of Mark. He always went ‘above and beyond’ to make the world a better place. My life is blessed to have had him in it!”

JODI ANGUS

Former rock climbing and ropes course facilitator, program director and assistant camp director at Deer Lake.

I had this realization that my feelings about Mark can’t boil down to one story. He was my friend, my mentor, my boss, my family and just an all-around good person. For a lot of people that was Mark. He saw people so clearly, and he was who they needed in that time.

“Mark had so much to share, and he was so willing to do it. He didn’t need to be the center of attention; he didn’t need to have all eyes on him all the time. But he was willing to share everything he had with people … He was always someone who wanted to help people, with never a thought of what will come in return. It was always about: What can I give? Mark was a giver “

MARY ROBBENHAAR-FRETZ

Killingworth EMT and board member and first Deer Lake waterfront director

“What I’ll never forget is that whenever he’d show up for a call, he’d have his coffee mug in his hand … and I would have mine as well. We were fellow coffee addicts. He’s the only guy I ever met who loved coffee as much as I did. But he had a habit of misplacing his mug. I’d find it in the headquarters, or I’d find it in the ambulance. Then I’d return it to him. Anyone who knew Mark knew he hated computers. So I always made sure to help him renew his EMT license on the state website. As long as he drove, and I took care of the patient and filled out the run forms, we made a good team.”

TED ELTON

Former camp counselor and waterfront director at Deer Lake; current Pathfinders board member

“Once, while home from winter break, two of my co-counselors and I decided to hike Deer Lake. It was surreal to be there in the offseason, the landscape so different in the leafless forest. We hiked through Fat Man Squeeze, and as we returned to our car we stopped by the edge of the lake, which had frozen over the night before.

“We discovered that if you threw a piece of ice on to the lake’s surface – as if you were skipping a stone – it would create a fantastic, skittering echo, like something out of science-fiction movie. The three of us stood there, delighted, as we flung handfuls of ice across the frozen lake, reveling in the otherworldly sounds that we were creating.

Then, from behind us, came Mark’s voice.

“I have to ask you not to do that.”

He explained that, yes, while the noise was totally cool, the ice that we were flinging would eventually come to rest on the surface of the lake … and, in the heat of the mid-day sun, eventually melt there. Not entirely, but just enough to fuse it to the lake’s frozen surface as the day cooled, where it would remain until the lake thawed.

“And that’s the perfect thing,” Mark said, “to catch the toe of some kid’s ice skate and send him flying.”

“Unbeknownst to us, Mark cleared the lake every winter so families could skate … and we were ruining it. He could have shouted at us from the house or come roaring down the hill, berating us for our selfishness and foolishness. But while Mark’s reprimand was firm, he delivered it gently and with a respect that we were unaccustomed to. In so doing, he offered us the opportunity to see more clearly how our actions might impair the ability of those who came after us to enjoy the lake.

And while that noise was something else, Mark’s lesson was understood. “

RICH NICHOLS

“Mr. Fix It” at Deer Lake                                                 

“I always thought of Mark as the ‘Mountain Man.’ He was bigger than life itself. We had similarly parallel paths in the outdoors, often in Scouting. Canoeing expeditions … winter backpack camping on snowshoes … hiking the New York and New England mountain ranges … he always seemed a step ahead of me.

“Although a couple of years my junior, I always considered him a mentor, right up to this year. He had a talent to encourage others to stretch their boundaries … to believe you could do more … and, most importantly, to provoke you to want to teach others the same way. That last point is why his legacy will live on for generations. I’ll often feel as if he is standing beside me, grinning and pointing “Out There.” Thank you, Mark.

MICHELLE ANJIRBAG-REEVE

Former camper, camp counselor, ropes/rock climbing facilitator at Deer Lake

“It’s really hard for me to boil anything down to a single memory or story. I grew up at Deer Lake, starting there when I was 5 years old. They had the Wilderness School, and when I started you could join at about 11. But I was a kid who was afraid of everything, I literally went into that Wilderness School kicking and screaming. My Mom gave Patty very strict orders that, unless there was a dire injury, I was not to be calling home and ask to be picked up.

“But somehow, I kept going back. I joined the Venture Crew when that was started, and it’s because of Mark and Patty … but, really, because of who Mark was and the kind of space he created to allow people to grow. I went from a kid who – and we have home video of this — was not touching grass to hiking and backpacking and trying everything … and, eventually, leaving.

“I was scared of everything, but somehow I managed to keep going away. I live in the U.K. now. I left for my Masters (degree) on close to a whim. And a big part of being able to leave has been knowing that there’s always been somewhere to come home to.

“I remember being about 16 years old, and we had a group coming in for some programming. They were late, so I was just hanging out at camp. When I off-handed asked, ‘Can I do something?’ I was told, ‘Do you know how to use a Sawzall?’ I didn’t even know what one was. But somehow in the next 15 minutes I’m set up in front of the barn, trying to use this thing to cut water barrels in half to turn into grills for the camp sites.

“I come from a single parent family. It’s just me, my Mom and my sister. Anything that I can do or have learned to do has been in part because there has been this space for me to learn and ask questions. And make a lot of mistakes. It’s not important just to make people feel like they can try anything but to make them feel that, if they make a mistake, they’re worth helping.

“And he did that for me. I can’t think of somebody who believed more through his actions that the best small good you can do for people is better than anything else. He lived it. There aren’t many people like that.

“One other thing: As I said, I grew up at Deer Lake and allegedly became an adult, but I learned the experience of going out to the ‘Griz’ and singing with Mark on Mondays at Sea Shanty nights. The best thing about that was after it was over … if you stuck around late enough … and the weather was good enough …and the sky was clear enough … we would end up down by the docks in Essex, next to the River Museum. It would be whoever was out for the night. And we’d star gaze.

“I can still find Cassiopeia, no matter what country I’m in. And every time I find it, it’s like going home.”

SHAWN SODERGREN

Next-door neighbor to Deer Lake, both as a child and as an adult

“I grew up in Killingworth and remember when he came to Deer Lake. So I’ve known him the whole time he was there. I think one of the funniest stories I heard involved one of my brothers, Mike, who was four years younger than me. He and Mike Clark — a friend of his — kept an eight-foot dingy on the east side of the lake. Anyway, my Dad had a 9.9 outboard motor, and one day … out of nowhere … Mark hears this strange sound coming from the lake – a sound like, well, an outboard motor. And he’s like, “What in the world?’ So he walks down to the lake, and sees my brother and Mike trying to water ski behind the 9.9. Now, they’re in high school, so they’re not little kids. And I remember what Mark said: ‘When I saw that, I sat down, took off my hat and just started laughing at these knuckleheads trying to get up on skis with a 9.9.’ Eventually, he stood up and told them, ‘You guys can’t be using an outboard motor on Deer Lake.’ And that was the end of it. They had carried the motor a half-mile through the woods and clamped it on the dingy. So they had to carry it back. I guess what I appreciated about that story was that he knew they were young and the way he laughed about it. He was shaking his head and saying, ‘I’ve just got to sit down and watch this for a few minutes.’

CLIFF HASLAM

Founder and lead singer with the Jovial Crew, the Sea Shanty Band at the Griswold Inn in Essex

I met him 40 years ago, and we just became great friends from the ‘Griz.’ That’s where I saw him most.  He enjoyed Monday nights with the music, and he liked to sing along. He was one of the nicest people in the world … he and Patty and the family. We didn’t hang around a lot, but two or three times he invited us to sing at the camp for the staff. Shortly after his passing, we dedicated a song to him (at the ‘Griz’) at the end of the night. It’s an Irish song about a wake that goes, “Let’s not have a snivel, let’s have a bloody good cry … and always remember the longer you live, the sooner you bloody well die.” He liked that one.

DAVE CUTILLO

Former Deer Lake counselor and Killingworth Ambulance Association board member

“One hot summer night when I was old enough to know better, but young enough not to care, some friends and I decided to sneak into Deer Lake for some illicit night-swimming.  We were no more than waist deep into our misadventure when we were interrupted by a voice that boomed from the shadows..

“Did you get in up to your shoulders yet?”

We turned in horror to the sight of an imposing figure in a Tilly hat who, before any of us could find the courage to respond, continued, “Because if you haven’t, do it now, and then come with me.”

 

I didn’t know it at the time, but I had just met The Ranger, a man who would have a profound and lasting influence on my life … who would teach me more lessons than I could count … who would correct me when he found me in error, challenge me when I was sure I knew better … and remind me, time and time again, that “we all keep each other in check.”  All I knew then was that I had made a very bad decision and that my life was as good as over.

We followed The Ranger in the darkness, dripping with lake water and shame, fearing for our lives as we lived out this all-too-familiar B-movie plot.  We knew perfectly well what happened to teens who broke the rules and got caught out in the woods at night…

 

We eventually arrived at The Ranger’s station, where we were processed in the usual fashion: The Ranger took our driver’s licenses, wrote down our names and addresses in his enormous log of miscreants, gave us a stern lecture on the dangers of our actions, complete with depictions of our gruesome deaths, and sent us on our way.  He didn’t chop us up and feed us to the snapping turtles as we had begun to fear he might.  He didn’t call the police either, though he surely could have.  Instead, he taught us a lesson we would never forget.

It would be the first of many.

Some years later, despite knowing that I was officially and permanently banned from Deer Lake, and sure that The Ranger would remember my act of malfeasance the moment he saw me, I had the temerity to apply for a job as a camp counselor at Deer Lake.  After being there long enough to feel comfortable approaching him, I confessed my story to The Ranger.  He chuckled, gave me a quick appraising look, and said, “So you’re in my book of bad kids, huh?”

Mark Clifton and I went on to work together for years, and in that time we had our disagreements.  Nevertheless, I always admired and respected him, and, more often than not, I eventually came to accept that he’d been right.  I was honored when, just two years ago, he approached me to join the KAA board of directors.  I accepted, and, just as when I was young, the lessons carried on.  In fact, the last time I saw him, he arrived just a few minutes late for a meeting.  He apologized for his tardiness, and we replied, “Oh, that’s alright, Mark.”  He didn’t miss a beat: “No, it’s not” he said matter-of-factly.

Mark had high standards for all of us, himself included.

“Mark Clifton may have let slip this earthly veil, but The Ranger surely hasn’t.  He still resides where he always has, in our hearts and in our memories.  If ever you find yourself hiking through Deer Lake, quiet yourself and listen carefully to the woods.  If you’re patient, I’m confident you’ll hear his canoe on the lake, and his booming voice softly singing, “My paddle’s clean and bright, flashing like silver, swift as the wild goose flies, dip, dip and swing…”.

“As a matter of fact, I can hear him now… “Greet the morning sunshine!” “Many hands make light work.”  “Watch me first, then try yourself.”   “You need to know how your car works; it’s the second most expensive thing you’ll ever buy.”  And, of course, “Sometimes I may need to correct you, and sometimes you may need to correct me.  We all keep each other in check.”