Greg Clary, former reporter and editor with The Journal News, dies at 69
Greg Clary, an award-winning journalist who devoted more than two decades to The Journal News and lohud.com, died May 23. Clary, a resident of Sleepy Hollow, was 69. He suffered a brain injury from a fall May 12 at Rockefeller State Park.
Clary worked as a reporter, columnist and editor for The Journal News from 1988 until he retired in 2012. He covered key beats and broke big news.
Clary covered transportation when there were only hints that, one day, the already dilapidated Tappan Zee Bridge would be replaced. He later served as an environmental reporter and columnist, covering the Indian Point nuclear power plant, which would close down in 2021.
In Rockland County, Clary in the late 1990s reported on plans for a giant new mall in West Nyack and the controversies that enveloped the community.
Clary's coverage and his recollections provided building blocks for a documentary called "Megamall" that traced the origins of the Palisades Center, co-producer and co-director Vera Aronow said.
"Because of his reporting, he could not only describe Rockland County and the players in the story, he also elucidated key points about the mall building business that no other interviewee described," Aronow said. "We were able to interview him for the film, and his friendly and enthusiastic voice help make it an enjoyable film to watch."
Arnow added: "We also gained new respect for the precious but often underappreciated work of local journalism."
'Taking a genuine interest'
Newsrooms can be tough places, full of big personalities with strong opinions. Clary was all that, but he used those traits to glue together a staff of allies and compatriots. One could hear his frequent bellow, “Coffee run!” and a hardy guffaw at anyone’s joke, including his own.
In the days after Clary’s fall, friends contacted his wife, Emily Kaufman Clary, and daughter, Grace Clary, offering support. “One common thread we found was how Greg could make you feel like you were the only person in the room,” Joe Scarpati, his son-in-law, wrote. “Not by any trick, but instead by taking a genuine interest in whoever he was speaking to. He had the unique ability to listen to, as well as he could tell, a good story.”
'A blur': Hudson Valley seniors reflect on HS during pandemic
Skipping EZ Pass: Thruway toll evaders owe big bucks. See how much
See it: 2023 U. S. Military Academy at West Point graduation and commissioning
Jerry McKinstry, a former Journal News reporter, sat next to Clary in the Westchester newsroom for years. “He was just a really great big personality who made it fun to go to work every day," he said.
Clary knew how to make friends and keep them − childhood friends from his beloved Dowagiac (he was a proud Michigander at his roots and a University of Michigan graduate) to ones he had just made knew they had an ally in Greg.
McKinstry recalled Clary deciding to arrange an actor to come to his son’s 4th birthday. But the character actor didn’t show. So Clary donned the costume, although considerably too tall for the character. The sight scared some kids and continues to send McKinstry into peals of laughter. It was quintessential Clary.
“He showed up,” McKinstry said. “That was the kind of guy he was.”
Good food, good conversation, good people
Gregory Bruce Clary was born March 18, 1954 in Dowagiac, Michigan. He is preceded in death by his mother, Stella Grace (Elliott) Clary; father Dr. Rudolph I. Clary; and sister, Kathryn (Clary) Hall.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 40 years, Emily Kaufman Clary; daughter, Grace K. Clary; and son-in-law Joseph Scarpati; and a large extended family.
He was a graduate of Culver Military Academy’s class of 1972 and University of Michigan’s class of 1976.
He taught English & Journalism at Marymount College in Tarrytown before his nearly 25 years with The Journal News.
He loved animals, playing basketball, swimming in the Hudson River, history, good literature, good food, good conversation and good people.
A celebration of Greg’s life is being scheduled for later this year. Details to follow.
A fierce defender of the environment, specifically the Hudson, the family requests a donation in his honor can be made to Riverkeeper, at riverkeeper.org. Or, in honor of his wife, Emily, donations can be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, at nationalmssociety.org.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY journalist with lohud and The Journal News Greg Clary dies
