Notable New Hampshire Deaths: Former Merrimack Detective And Nashua Resident; Lakes Region State Rep.

By InDepth NH

InDepthNH.org scans the websites of New Hampshire funeral homes each week and selects at random some of our friends, relatives and neighbors to feature in this column. The people listed here passed away during the previous weeks and have some public or charitable connection to their community. InDepthNH.org is now offering obituaries through the Legacy.com service. We view this as part of our public service mission. Click here or on the Obituaries tab at the top of our home page to learn more. And if you know of someone from New Hampshire who should be featured in this column, please send your suggestions to NancyWestNews@gmail.com.

Harry Herbert Bean, 71, of Gilford, died Feb. 14, 2026. He served as a state representative for four terms, first elected in 2018. He served on the Belknap County Republican Committee for 12 years. He was awarded the Norris Cotton award by the Belknap County Republican Committee. He was a member of the Gilford Budget Committee for three years. He was a world champion arm wrestler and a member of Granite State Arms Arm-Wrestling Team. (Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home)

Robert E. Clark, 79, of Northwood, died Feb. 13, 2026. He was the owner of the Northwood Diner for 23 years and while a UNH student he and two partners started Sneaky Pete’s Saloon in Newmarket, which later became the Lamprey Tavern and is now The Riverworks. Early in his career, he managed the band Barry and the Remains, which opened for the Beatles at Shea Stadium in New York in 1966. He also had a career in information technology with the State of New Hampshire. He served on the Northwood School Board, Budget Committee and Planning Board. (Purdy Memorial Chapel)

Dr. Norman D. “Pete” Kathan Jr., 86, of Wolfeboro, died Feb. 13, 2026. He was a third-generation physician and a pediatrician in Schenectady, N.Y., Middlebury, Vt., and Wolfeboro. He was a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. As a wheelchair-bound 8-year-old, he sat on Babe Ruth’s lap for a 1947 World Series game at Yankee Stadium. (Lord Funeral Home)

Sara “Sally” Kimball, 87, of Manchester, died Feb. 14, 2026. She was the longest-serving foster parent in the state, retiring in 2024 after 50 years of service. She fostered hundreds of children during that time. She was also involved in Boy Scouts Troop 106. (Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory)

Donald Harkness May, 98, of Hanover, died Feb. 16, 2026. He started his journalism career with the Staten Island Advance, then worked for The Washington Daily News, United Press International, The National Journal, and was a speech writer for U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson, D-Wisc., who was widely credited as the founder of Earth Day. He became a freelance writer in the mid-1980s and wrote for the World Bank, among other organizations. In 1996 he and wife Allison founded the nonprofit Salikenni Scholarship Fund to support and mentor students from Salikenni and its surrounding villages in Gambia. In his final days, he was hard at work on a book about education in Sub-Saharan Africa. (Rand-Wilson Funeral Home)

Scott C. Park, 58, of Nashua, died Feb. 12, 2026. He worked for the Merrimack Police Department for 33 years, beginning his career at 18 years old and retiring in 2019. He was a detective respected for his investigative skills, integrity, and commitment to justice. (Rivet Funeral Home)

WORDS OF WISDOM: “The cross reminds us that there is no true love without suffering, there is no gift of life without pain.” – Pope Benedict XVI, April 16, 1927 - Dec. 31, 2022

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.