Volney R. Clarke, Jr

Middletown, RI - Volney Russell Clarke, Jr., 59, of Middletown, RI, died Wednesday, October 29, 2008 of Pancreatic Cancer at home in Middletown, RI. Born in Newport, RI on October 14, 1949, he was the son of Anna Kelleyhouse Clarke the late Volney R. Clarke Sr. Volney graduated from Middletown High School in 1967. He then graduated from Johnson Wales in 1982 with a degree in Culinary Arts. He worked in several Newport restaurants including Benjamins, Bourbon Street, and the Sheraton Islander in Newport. He also worked at the PGA Sheraton in West Palm Beach, FL and as a chef on private charter yachts in the Palm Beach area. He returned to Newport and re-opened Tremblys in Portsmouth only to close the restaurant due to his health complications with diabetes.He then went to work for Dominos Pizza in Middletown where he has worked for the last 10 years. Volney also enjoyed working at Hi Tech Fabrication Restorations in Middletown on weekends. Volney was a member of the Viking Riders and owned many Harleys during his lifetime. He also owned a Jeep CJ7 that he was constantly restoring, and took on the car show circuit and won several trophies for his restoration. He was also an amateur photographer taking many pictures of the local area. His specialties were aerial photos and yachts.Besides his mother, he is survived by a sister Karen MacKnight and her husband Paul of Middletown, a niece Susan Dees and her husband Hank of Nashville, TN, a nephew Paul MacKnight Jr. and his wife Kiely and three great-nieces, Elle, Katherine, and Lily MacKnight of Kingston, NH. His funeral will be held on Saturday, November 1, 2008, with calling hours from 10:00-11:00am and a funeral service beginning at 11:00 am in Hambly Funeral Home, 30 Red Cross Avenue, Newport. Burial will be in Middletown Cemetery in Middletown. Memorial donations may be made to Visiting Nurse Service of Newport and Bristol Counties, Hospice, 1184 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI, 02871.