Clifford Verkade, or as his friends knew him, Cliffy, passed away peacefully at the age of 86 surrounded by his family at home on August 17, 2024.

The legend began on December 28, 1937 in Manomet, MA. The son of Adrian Verkade and Aaltje Cornelia deBruyn Verkade, both of whom immigrated from the Netherlands.  He was the youngest of his three siblings: Eddie, Connie, and Audrey. He spent his childhood helping with the family greenhouse in Plymouth, "Dutchies"; as well as working at a nearby chicken farm. Cliff proudly earned the achievement of Eagle Scout in 1953 and then studied cabinet making in Weymouth until he was old enough to join the Navy in January of 1955.  He was stationed on the USS Wagner, a destroyer escort that operated as part of a radar picket line, where he received commendations for his work. Cliff fondly remembered his days of working as the "Oil King" who kept the ship's boiler operating smoothly.

Once discharged, Cliff spent the next several years racing dirt bikes throughout New England as one of the Scrambles Tracks earliest racers.  He became well known in the motorcycle and dirt track community for his talents and was featured in many issues of Cycle Sport magazine. There is still a place in Plymouth known as "Verkade Hill" as he was the only rider to have ever been able to climb it.  He also adventured in flat tracks and ice racing in Maine.  Cliff married his first wife, Kathleen Powers, and they had three daughters together, Wendy, Adrienne and Amy. Not long after their divorce in 1972, Cliff began traveling across the country by motorcycle with several friends making memories that would last a lifetime. Their travels took them through the US, Canada, and to the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Cliff married his second wife, Leslie Smith, and they had two daughters together, Fay and Elise.  If Cliff wasn't racing motorcycles, he was working on them.  For the next decade or so he worked as a mechanic at Kelsey's Garage on Cape Cod, South Shore Kawasaki in Hanover and eventually at Bettencourt's in West Bridgewater for the shop and their racing team.  After Cliff and his second wife divorced, he moved back to Plymouth and spent the last 15 years of his career driving a school bus for Plymouth Public schools. Throughout his retirement, he was able to enjoy many trips to visit his sister, Audrey, at her home in Aruba.  He also spent much of his free time gardening, growing flowers and vegetables.  Cliff was a fun loving, free spirit who enjoyed his life to the fullest and never sweat the small stuff.

Cliff's friends and family are invited to his memorial service on Tuesday, August 27th at 12PM at

the Manomet Cemetery, 19 White Horse Road, Plymouth, MA 02360.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Old Colony Hospice, Bridgewater MA

(https://www.oldcolonyhospice.org/donation-overview)