By Staff
Larry W. Clymer, 70, of Powers Court, Niles, passed away suddenly at his home, of natural causes, on Monday, June 16, 2008.
A time of visitation will be held on Thursday, June 19, 2008, at Brown Funeral Home from 5 until 8 p.m. with a Masonic service at 7:30 p.m. at the funeral home by the St. Joseph Valley Masonic Lodge No. 4.
A funeral service will be held at Wesley United Methodist Church 302 Cedar St. in Niles on Friday June 20, at 11 a.m. with Rev. Emmett Kadwell officiating.
A private interment will be held in Silverbrook Cemetery.
He was born in Niles on Feb. 6, 1938, to Greydon and Edith (Wheeler) Clymer.
On April 24, 1958, he married Eleanor Meldrum at a ceremony in Niles.
Larry graduated Niles High School in 1957. He served in the National Guard for eight years while establishing a career at Tyler Refrigeration, retiring after 30 years of service.
Clymer served Niles as the city's mayor for 14years. After leaving office as mayor, Larry decided to go back to work and was employed for several years at Gene Wesner Chevrolet in Buchanan and was previously employed as a radio personality for WGTO, where he hosted Clymer's Corner, a daily talk show.
He was also past Chairman of the Niles Board of Public Works, past member of the Niles Area Planning Commission, past City Chairman of the Niles United Way, chaired the Juvenile Justice Task Force, the Lakeshore Coordinating Council, the Niles Area Transportation Committee and the Berrien County Administration Committee, where he was the board liaison to the Berrien County Health Board. He served as chair of the Berrien County Disaster Team, the Southwestern Michigan Commission, President of the Southwest Michigan Football Clinic, where he also coached, a board member of the Niles FOP Little League Baseball and chaired the Berrien County Sewer Appeals Committee.
He was instrumental in the implementation of the Niles Disaster Plan, the Downtown Development Authority, and helped establish the industrial park. He also assisted in the planning of the Four Flags Plaza senior citizen apartments and the Niles Riverfront Park. Larry was the chairman of the community relations committee of the Boy Scouts of America, A Kentucky Colonel, a member of American Legion Post 26, member of the St. Joseph Valley Masonic Lodge No. 4 and was 32nd Degree Mason and a Shriner.
Larry was currently a Berrien County Commissioner representing the 13th District for 14 years and was serving on the Four Winds Casino revenue board.
He will also be remembered for the two songs he had written "Tear Down the Berlin Wall" and "Glory to the Red, White and Blue." Larry also had a love for hunting, fishing, reading and oil painting. Most will remember Larry filling in for Santa for many years, bringing smiles to young and old alike.
He was preceded in death by his father.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Ellie Clymer of Niles; his mother, Edith Clymer of Niles; two sons, Larry "Jim" (Pati) Clymer of Niles, Jeffrey D. (Laura) Clymer of Valparaiso, Ind.; four grandchildren; a brother, Greydon Clark "Dennis Clymer" of Henderson, Nev. and a sister, Cheryl (Jack) York of South Bend, Ind.
Memorial contributions can be made in his memory to The Salvation Army 424 N. 15th St., Niles, MI 49120 or to the American Heart Association 950 28th Street, Grand Rapids, MI 49508-1393.
Condolences, memories and photos may be shared with Clymer's family by visiting www.BrownFuneralHomeNiles.com.
Arrangements were by Brown Funeral Home, Niles.