Thursday, May 20, 2010

Charles St. Clair, BHS 1942

Charles David St. Clair, BHS 1942

Milpitas Post (CA) - Thursday, April 29, 2010
Author: Milpitas Post Staff

Former mayor

Charles Davis St. Clair was called home April 12, 2010 following a short illness. He is survived by his sons Jim, Gary, Rick and Mike St. Clair; and step-daughters Robin, Lori and Dawn. His wife Enid passed away a year ago. Mr. St. Clair was born in Cambridge, Ohio on Sept. 4 1922, the son of Scott H. St. Clair and Beatrice Anne Jenkins. His only sister, Elizabeth, died before he was born. His family moved to Burbank, Calif. in 1939. He played football at Burbank High School and graduated in 1942.

During World War II he served in a glider regiment in the 101st and 82nd Airborne from 1943 to 1945. He was a combat veteran of the Normandy campaign, St. Lo, Arnhem and the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded in Holland and received the Purple Heart Medal. After the war he married Margery St. Clair in 1949. They divorced in 1973. He married Enid St. Clair in 1979.

Upon discharge from the Army, Mr. St. Clair attended the University of California at Santa Barbara and later graduated from El Camino College. He worked at Northrop Aviation in Southern California before taking a job at Lockheed Missiles and Space Division in Sunnyvale and moving to Milpitas in 1958. He worked at Lockheed for 20 years before retiring. Mr. St. Clair joined the Milpitas Planning Commission in 1962 and was elected to the Milpitas City Council in 1966. He served on the council for eight years, and was mayor from 1972 to 1974. He was instrumental in the development of Milpitas in its early days. He worked for and supported the Calaveras Boulevard widening/overpass project; he fought annexation by San Jose; and was a strong advocate of requiring commercial aviation altitude limits over Milpitas. He was also active in organizing and managing the Milpitas Avengers soccer team in 1967 and was involved in the Cub Scouts in the 1960s.

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, May 4 at 4 p.m. at Lima Family Cedar Lawn, 48800 Warm Springs Blvd.

"Dad was no stranger to adversity but her persevered and managed to maintain an enthusiasm for life. While he never claimed perfection, he did take comfort in the redemption for our Lord Jesus Christ. He will be sadly missed."

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