Leonard F. Clarkin
My Life After La Salle
So how did I end up going to La Salle? Here is the story. I didn't want to go to LaSalle, all my friends went to Cranston, an easy commute for me, no double busses etc. Girls!
One day my uncle, Leonard F. Clarkin, who was a student at La Salle, started to walk home after serving Mass at St Matthews. On Elmwood Ave, he heard noises from one of the nearby ponds.
He went over to investigate and got someone out of the pond who was stuck under the ice and saved his life. But he hit his head on the ice and he died there. After that my mother insisted that I go to La Salle Academy which I did. I still have the Carnegie Medal my uncle had been awarded.
After graduating from La Salle and PC I attended Suffolk University Law School evening division while working in a large CPA firm in Boston. I passed my MA CPA exam in 1970.
Working at my second CPA job in Boston, I worked at Meahl McNamara, a good firm. The senior partner liked me and wanted me to stick with accounting, not law. Then he asked all the big law firms, a huge task since I was coming out of Suffolk night school. He found a great fit for me with Haussermann Davison & Shattuck, a great firm. The attorneys all had Harvard Law School degrees, except for Donald Wood who was in charge of Litigation. Don was a great lawyer; we did get together on numerous cases/one BIG ONE. All of the other Harvard attorneys didn't like litigation. Good for me! Don left the firm 4 days later and I became in charge of Litigation. Not too bad as someone who came from night school to work on taxes and other accounting matters.
After 20 years I left to form a new firm with Don until he passed away in about 1991. The firm had about 10 lawyers until I left with a stroke. The firm remains to this day, Clarkin & Phillips, with about 10 lawyers. Someone asked me whether I want to get my name back on the door. The answer is NO!
So much for my legal life, except for my periodic get together with Bruce Gilmore, a great lawyer and friend.
After I got out of law school, I continued to play in hockey tournaments in R I, Mass, HAWAII, Guelph, Ontario, Vancouver, N Y, etc. Not to unduly excite anyone, but having seen Maurice 'Rocket' Richard and Jean Beliveau play hockey, I am a big fan of the Montreal Canadiens. I also went to Canadian Fantasy Camp 3 times playing hockey and golf with Guy Lafleur, a great guy.
In 1970 I got lucky and married my wife Mary, we have 2 sons, Marc and Tim. They are now both out of school and doing well with good paying jobs but neither have children yet. My wife and I celebrated our 50th anniversary on 9/5/2020.
Other than family and friends, my primary activities now involve athletics, especially playing hockey and golf and going to the gym when I can. I am an avid follower and season ticket holder for Friar Hockey and Hoops.
Leonard F. Clarkin <pcfriars10@gmail.com>
Saturday, October 02, 2021 at 12:13:05 (EDT)