Clifford Joseph Fralen

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Charles A Berg on July 16, 2015:

I am deeply sorry to learn of Cliff's death. The sad news comes as an interruption in a conversation that I had deeply hoped to continue. Cliff and I were company mates (I-2, '55). We got to know each other on the wrestling team as Plebes, and decided to room together, with Chuck Rhodes, for Yearling year. Cliff was bright, extremely so, and a fiercely competitive athlete. Midway through Cow year, when I was rooming with John Hamilton and Dick Gray, I decided to resign and go to MIT, where, ultimately, I hit my stride and prospered, at least intellectually. I heard from classmates, particularly John, during the rest of my undergraduate years, but lost track of Cliff entirely. Later Cliff and I met again, when I was Chairman of Mechanical Engineering at Northeastern University, Boston, and he was the recently retired PMS&T, now serving as Director of Buildings and Grounds for the University -- effectively the city manager for a community of nearly 60,000 souls (I should discount the upper administration). We met in a meeting that I had called about settling an issue or other about space, and at first we did not recognize each other; time does that to one's physical appearance. As I entered and started to sit down, I remarked, "Cliff Fralen, that's an interesting name. I once had a college room mate named Cliff Fralen." Cliff said, "Well, I once had a room mate named Charlie Berg. To which I said, where did you go to school". After Cliff said, "West Point", I exclaimed "Cliff?" as he was exclaiming, "Charlie?". The meeting went exceptionally smoothly and swiftly, not the usual case in academic discussions of space -- the currency of academic life. We retired to Restaurant of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, across the street, and enjoyed a very well lubricated reunion. I will continue to miss Cliff, because there are so many things I had hoped to talk over with him, before we each departed this world. But, as in many aspects of our lives, Cliff got there first. This is not enough to say about a man who was a lively brain, a fine student of history, and a courageous soldier, but there is never enough space on paper to give due credit to a life like his. Well Done Clifford, and Be Thou At Peace Charlie Charles A Berg, X55, I-2

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