Clarence was born on February 11, 1921 in Harrison, NJ to the late John Joseph Sickles and Mary Lois Rowe Sickles. He married his loving wife, Jean Stover, on February 11, 1950.

As much as any one lifetime spanning nearly a century could be summed by one idea, Clarence’s life was dedicated to the service of others. Growing up as a teenager through the depression had a tremendous impact on Clarence and, throughout the rest of his time, he was always quick to help a person in need. Many of his accomplishments throughout his life share this common thread.

After beginning his collegiate studies at Rutgers in 1941, and with the guidance and encouragement from his parish priest, he transferred to and graduated from Columbia University and the General Theological Seminary in New York. Then, in 1948, he achieved his childhood goal to become a priest. At the start of his career, Clarence held positions as a chaplain in Sparta, Fairlawn, and Rutgers until he assumed the role of rector at St. James Episcopal Church of Hackettstown in 1953. It was in Hackettstown that Jean and Clarence would raise their family of eight children and engage as civic-minded members of the local community.

Augmenting the help and guidance he offered others through his position in the local church, Clarence never stopped looking for ways to help others outside of his congregation. During his service at St. James, he saw the need for developing eldercare in a way that provided comfort and dignity for those near the end of their lives. It was this idea that led him to form the Heath Village non-profit corporation and build the retirement community on Schooleys Mountain Road. While serving as Heath Village's first executive director, Clarence earned a Master's Degree at Columbia Teachers College in gerontology and therapeutic recreation. In 1978, the General Theological Seminary awarded him an honorary doctorate in divinity for his work with the elderly.

The support and guidance Clarence received to reach his goals made a lasting impact on the way he led his life. He passed these blessings on for so many people throughout his life in ways too innumerable to mention here. Many lives have been forever changed as a result of the impact Clarence had on those seeking council and understanding.

Clarence worked with the local Salvation Army to provide shelter and food for transient people moving through Hackettstown. Knowing this, the local Police would send transients to the Sickles family residence on Washington Street. There, Clarence would speak with them to assess their needs, arrange shelter in a local motel for the night and a meal at a nearby restaurant. Occasionally, when these arrangements couldn't work, he opened up the family home so they could get rest and receive a warm meal before heading on their travels — even though he and his wife were already caring for eight children.

He also engaged in creative and academic projects with the aim of making the world a more harmonious place. These achievements include authoring a book detailing the historical development of the Ten Commandments with a new moral code written in a secular nature. His work also included three children’s books: The Happy Christmas Tree, The Easter Bunny, and The Pink Butterfly, each built on his love and caring for all as an extension of his Christian values.

Clarence lived his life enamored with human potential and the capacity for growth and understanding, both physical and mental. He was an accomplished track and cross country runner at both Kearney High School and St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark for what he refers to as “a glorious year” where he worked to obtain the credits needed to gain acceptance into Rutgers University in 1941. He took the physical health of his children very seriously, often rousing them out of bed before school to run the grounds of Hackettstown’s Centenary University. It is no surprise many Sickles’ siblings were star athletes in their chosen sports.

Equally as important was the education of those within his family and those who were not. Clarence was infamous among his grandchildren for pulling out grammar flashcards during their visits to inform them that Dick Tracy was, in fact, a proper noun. This playful sense of humor would come to life as he and Jean volunteered their time to analyze the handwriting of local high school students, which was an engaging way to help students self-reflect on their habits and qualities. He also provided care and assistance to many as they worked through their education to build the lives of which they dreamed.

Clarence was, as are we all, a person of variances. As much as he loved and cared for all of his fellow humans, he could also be stubborn and tenacious in his resolve. Longtime members of the Hackettstown community will no doubt have a memory of at least one of his letters to the newspaper editor. Anyone who had the distinction to share a Saturday afternoon watching college football with Clarence would hear him shout for the referees to “turn in their suits” after a bad call. One of the greatest compliments he could pay anyone was to ask for, and then consider, their opinion. Still, the reason Clarence so strongly held to his ideas was because he truly believed they represented the best ways to serve his fellow humans or, in the case of college football, fairness.

He is survived by his loving wife of 70 years, Jean Stover Sickles, his four daughters Mary Roberts and her husband John, Martha Sickles, Margaret Sheldon and her husband Jim, Monica Cook and her husband Pete; and his four sons, Mark Sickles, Michael Sickles and his wife Barbara, Martin Sickles and his wife Jean, and Matthew Sickles; along with, thirteen grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.  He was predeceased by his brothers, Raymond and Harold Sickles, and his sisters Eleanor Rittmann and Mildred Freigant.  

Funeral services will be held at a later date for family and friends to join together to celebrate his life of service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Heath Village Employee Appreciation Fund, 151 Heath Village, Hackettstown, NJ 07840.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Cochran Funeral Home, To send an online condolence please visit http://www.cochranfuneral.com.

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