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Cliff was born February 26, 1916 in Somerville, MA to parents who had immigrated to the Boston, MA from England. He grew up in Cambridge where he graduated from Rindge School of Technical Arts, class of 1934 and took a gap year before enrolling in college. He was a Drawing and Painting major at Massachusetts College of Art. In 1938, he was hit by a baseball in a Cambridge neighborhood game which shattered his glasses resulting in the loss of one of his eyes. He went on to graduate with the class of 1940, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree conferred at their 50th reunion as only students graduating with teaching certificates were awarded degrees in 1940. He and 2 classmates relocated to NYC, meeting up with a fourth alumae with whom they shared a cold water flat. The flat in the front of the building was occupied by Charton Heston and his wife and the building beside them housed a pickle factory. Cliff supported himself by illustrating all types of published work from pot boilers to history and science publications. He continued his studies at the Art Students League of New York, working for some time as an assistant instructor under his teacher and mentor, Frank J Reilly, remaining a life long member of the League.

He is best known as a children's book (particularly science fiction) illustrator due to his collaboration on Robert Heinlein’s early children’s books and Margaret Hyde’s science texts. Cliff wrote and illustrated his own children’s book, Ticonderoga, which was sold in the fort’s gift shop. He was commissioned to design bronze commemorative plaques for the fort’s bicentennial celebration. His design was adapted for a Wedgwood commemorative plate which was also sold at the fort. Most of his life was devoted to the Fine Arts, primarily oil paintings, though he experimented with many mediums including watercolor, woodworking and metal work. He showed regularly in the Washington Square (Village) Art Shows, and was an invited member of the Salmagundi Club.

He and his wife of 54 years, Marge (Marguerite Henrietta Willshier), lived Brooklyn, then Astoria, NY, retiring to their summer home in the Adirondacks in 1981. In addition to their love and commitment to the arts, they enjoyed gardening, hiking, camping and canoeing, reading and crafts.

Cliff died on May 31, 2008 at Milford (MA) Hospital after a sudden stroke. Marge predeceased Cliff in 2007.

Cliff was born February 26, 1916 in Somerville, MA to parents who had immigrated to the Boston, MA from England. He grew up in Cambridge where he graduated from Rindge School of Technical Arts, class of 1934 and took a gap year before enrolling in college. He was a Drawing and Painting major at Massachusetts College of Art. In 1938, he was hit by a baseball in a Cambridge neighborhood game whic... More