J. Peter Clavin
J. Peter Clavin
Funeral Director | Community Leader
Personal History
J. Peter Clavin is often referred to as "a nice guy." But "nice" is an understatement when referring to him. As the owner and operator of Joseph P. Clavin Sons, Inc. he has touched many lives with comforting words and acts of kindness that few of us can muster. His ability to shepherd the mourning through their grief with professionalism and respect is just one of the reasons we honor him with a spot in the Fort Hamilton High School Alumni Association's Hall of Fame.
After graduating from the Fort in 1971, Peter went on to SUNY, Farmingdale where he graduated in 1973 and then continued his professional education at the Simmons Institute of Funeral Service in Syracuse, New York.
Founded in 1886, the Clavin Funeral Home has been a part of Bay Ridge since the 1940s.
Along with his wife Mary, they have raised four children, Joseph, Matthew, Stephen, and Amy, in Bay Ridge. More than merely running a business located in the community, the Clavin family is a part of the community.
Peter has served the neighborhood around Fort Hamilton as a member or former member of the following groups: Bay Ridge Parks and Waterfront Council, Municipal Club of Brooklyn, Emerald Association of Long Island, Knights of Columbus - Thomas Dongan Council No. 1251, St. Patrick's Society of Brooklyn, Catholic Cemeteries Association, Bishop's Coat of Arms Club, and Catholic Charities.
Currently, he serves as a member of the board of trustees for NYU Langone Lutheran Augustana Center. Peter's been president of the Cathedral Club of Brooklyn, Lions Club of Bay Ridge, Men's Club of Bay Ridge, Bayfort Benevolent Associates, Sons of the American Legion, 12:30 Club of Bay Ridge, Downtown Speakers Association, and the Fourth Avenue Men's Association. He is a charter member of the Fort Hamilton Citizens Action Committee and has been affiliated with the Bay Ridge Festival of the Arts, Narrows Community Theater, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He is proud to be the acting adjutant of the Michael E. Clavin Post No. 1408 of the American Legion.
In 1993, His Eminence John Cardinal O'Connor knighted J. Peter Clavin as a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. Awards have also been bestowed upon Peter by the Catholic Guardian Society, the New York City Police Department's Sergeants Benevolent Association and Detectives' Endowment Association, as well as the United States Submarine Veterans of World War II. He was humbled to have been selected as the Lions Club's Man of the Year as well as Co-Grand Marshal of the Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1998 and the Grand Marshal of the 1999 Ragamuffin Day Parade. The Salvation Army's Brooklyn Advisory Board honored Peter as their Man of the Year in 1999, and in 2000, the Advocates for Services for the Blind Multi-handicapped, Inc. named him their Advocate of the Year. In 2008, Peter received the Service to Youth Award by the Catholic Committee on Scouting in the Diocese of Brooklyn as well as the Bay Ridge Community Council's prestigious Civic Award. The Guild for Exceptional Children presented Peter and Mary with their Humanitarian Award in 2011.
While a spot in our Hall of Fame may not be Peter's first honor, it is one he accepted with profound and sincere happiness. The pride J. Peter Clavin carries in being a graduate of the Fort is reciprocated with our pride in him and all he's accomplished.