Clyde Edison Stockdale, inventor, passed away Tuesday, September 9, 2003 at Milcrest Nursing Center, Marysville, OH. He was 82. Clyde was born in Philo, OH to Nel and Ira Stockdale. He graduated from Philo High School and worked as a lock tender on the Muskingum River. At one time, he was the youngest person in the country to hold a river boat pilot's license. During World War II he served with the Army Coast Artillery. He was awarded the American Theater Ribbon and the Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon with two Bronze Stars for participation in the battles of the Western Pacific (Saipan and Iwo Jime) and the Ryukyus. He used his G.I. benefits to learn to fly and held an airplane pilot's license for many years. He moved to Canton in 1946 and married Mary Margaret Bremkamp at St. Joseph's Catholic Church on December 27, 1948. Clyde worked for Diebold, Inc. for 35 years, retiring as superintendent of receiving and warehousing. During much of that time he also worked for Dillon Electric Company as a machinist. In 1984, he invented a machine that is used to recycle loose-fill polystyrene packaging material. He founded the Poly-Vac Company and was granted a patent for his invention. He retired as president of Poly-Vac at the age of 75. He was also very active in the lives of his seven children which led to his involvement with Great Trails Girl Scout Camp, Young Life and Habitat for Humanity. For many years, Clyde served as a Scout Master of Boy Scout Troop 17 in Perry Twp. Clyde was preceded in death by his mother, Nel (Lynch), father, Ira, sisters, Hilah Stockdale and Edith Robinson and nephew, John (J.D. "Jack") Robinson. He leaves his loving wife, Mary Margaret; sons, David (Judi) of Cincinnati, Jon "Jack" (Joan) of Poznam, Poland, Daniel of St. Petersburg, FL and Timothy (Kathy) of Bolivar; daughters, Jean (Vladimere Jivotovsky) of Highland Park, NJ, Martha of Canton, Susan (Gary) Strutner of Marysville; nephew, Bob Robinson and family of Merrillville, IN; niece, Georgie Robinson of Zanesville; special grand-nephew, Shawn Robinson of Dayton; and special grand-niece, Laura, of Chicago; 19 grandchildren, Richard, Theresa, Susanna, Kenia, Elisa, Ann (Joel Rannebarger), Caleb (Sarah), Esther, Luke, Helen, Roslyn, Steven, Graham, Isaac, Lynn, Calvin, Charles, Jacob and James and great-grandson, Jason Rannebarger. Friends may call at the Reed Funeral Home from 5 - 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday from from 10 - 11 a.m.
Services will be conducted at 11 a.m. with Rev. James D. Zimmerman officiating. Burial will be in Sunset Hills Memory Gardens. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to Stark County Young Life or the Boy Scouts of America, Buckeye Council.

REED FUNERAL HOME