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Carlton D. Houck

Carlton “Carl” D. Houck, 82, of Lake Placid, passed away peacefully at home on Oct. 15, 2014, after a year-long illness with cancer.

He leaves his beloved wife of 36 years, Denise (Sollien) Houck. Together they have resided in Lake Placid since 1996.

Carl was born on March 1, 1932, in New Rochelle, the son of Carl and Lueena (Titus) Houck. A year after graduating from Hamilton Central School, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and earned the rank of sergeant first class as a combat engineer in the Korean War. Although he played down his distinguished service record in the Army, he was the recipient of several medals and honors. Upon his honorable discharge, he worked as a lineman for telephone companies in Wyoming and Florida. In 1961, he returned to Hamilton and was employed by the village of Hamilton as an electrical lineman until 1987, when he retired and moved to the Adirondacks. He loved the “mountains,” and he was a caretaker for a number of properties in the area.

Carlton loved “the woods.” He was the proud owner of an Adirondack camp in Speculator, where he spent many weekends with family and friends. He was an avid hiker, hunter and gardener. He had compassion for animals and was also a master at woodworking in his shop. He enjoyed sharing his appreciation for the wonders of nature with his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews who adored his impressive and wide-ranging knowledge of the forest and his fun in teaching them to appreciate what they could feel, sense and touch.

Carl is best described as kind, trustworthy, smart, practical, generous and hard working. He always had a mischievous twinkle in his eye and loved to joke. If you asked him how he was, he’d say with a straight face, “I am not going to tell you.” Then laugh. He loved to make you think. Carl had a special bond with his family and close friends, of which there were many. Carl was memorable because he was genuine, interesting, wise and always willing to help.

Along with his wife, Carl leaves his daughter Stacey Tarbell and her husband Gerry; daughter Kathy Maille; stepdaughter Kelli Barbuto and her husband Frank; several grandchildren: Jason, Matthew, Rebecca and her husband Josh, Jaimie, Anna, Mia and Frankie; his sister, Norma Lamb and her husband Keith and their daughters, Donna Lamb and Liza Car and her husband Don; his brother Kenneth Houck and his wife Emma; four sisters-in-law: Karen Lynch and her husband John, Sharon Dunham, Tari Joyce and her husband Ron, and Bonnie Poupore and her husband Dan; and many close nephews, nieces and friends.

A celebration of Carl’s life will be held in the future with close family and friends. Burial will be in Sackets Harbor Military Cemetery at the convenience of the family.

Contributions in memory of Carl can be made to High Peaks Hospice, P.O. Box 840, Saranac Lake, NY 12983 (www.highpeakshospice.org); Adirondack Health Foundation, Oncology Center, P.O. Box 120, Saranac Lake, NY 12983 (www.adirondackhealth.org); and North Country Honor Flight, P.O. Box 2644, Plattsburgh, NY 12901.

The M.B. Clark Inc. Funeral Home in Lake Placid is in charge of arrangements. Relatives and friends are invited to light a candle and share a memory or leave online condolences at www.mbclarkfuneralhome.com.