Obituary of John Clifford

John Paul Clifford “Larger Than Life”, born May 19, 1947 in Glen Ridge, NJ to Eileen N. and John D. Clifford, John was raised in Ramsey, NJ. He attended Ramsey High School, Lafayette College and West Virginia University. He was an avid athlete participating in football, basketball and baseball in high school and football at Lafayette College.

John married his high school sweetheart, Christine Caldwell, in 1969. They had three children, Scott (Kathleen), Kerrie (Brian) Parri and Susanne (Adam) Dunn and were blessed with nine grandchildren, Hayley, Gabrielle, Morgan, Kaitlyn, Will, Rory, Keely, Jack and Finnley. John loved his wife, Chris, children and grandchildren with all his heart. He enjoyed spending time with all the grandchildren on Thanksgiving in Hopewell, summers on LBI and winters in Vero Beach. He also greatly enjoyed time spent on athletic fields watching all the kids play their favorite sports.

Rounds of golf at The Ridge, John’s Island and Quail Valley and events at The Carlton were cherished by John and Chris.

Professionally, he began his career with Proctor and Gamble in Marketing. Later, he branched out into sales with St. Regis Paper, Paper Sales, and Clayton International. Ever the risk taking entrepreneur, he established Clifford Paper, Inc. in 1985. Today, Clifford Paper is one of the few remaining companies in the paper distribution business that is focused on entrepreneurial sales initiatives and innovation.

John is survived by his loving wife, Chris, three children, nine grandchildren, his brothers Paul and Craig, and many beloved extended family members. He will be deeply missed by all.

Family will receive friends on Monday, November 12, 2018 from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm and 7:00 pm-9:00 pm at Vander Plaat Funeral Home, www.vpfh.com, Wyckoff, NJ. A Funeral Service will be held at 10:00 am on Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at the Most Blessed Sacrament, Franklin Lakes. Private Interment to follow at Christ the King Cemetery.

As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be sent to Shepard Preparatory High School, 8 Columba St, Morristown, NJ 07960 (http://www.shepardschools.org) or Camphill Village, 84 Camphill Rd, Copake, NY 12516 (https://camphillvillage.org).