Donald St.Clair

Donald L. St.Clair, 94, passed away peacefully January 4, 2024. He was born in Bessemer, PA in 1929, to Clarence and Carrie St.Clair. He was the third of seven children and grew up on a small farm in Chewton, Pennsylvania. As a teen, he drove a steel wheeled Farmall tractor and often shared a terrifying story about it careening down a steep hill and his barely surviving.

Don was called "a gentleman farmer" in the Lincoln High School yearbook, class of '47 in Ellwood City, PA, but went on to join the U.S. Navy, training at Naval Station Great Lakes where he said he gained 25 pounds in six weeks.

Don met Nancy Rue in Castlewood, PA, where they fell in love and were married in 1953. (They celebrated their 70th anniversary in 2023 with many family and friends.)

Don and Nancy moved to Norfolk, Virginia where Don served as a U.S. Navy dentalman gentleman. After the Navy, Don, Nancy and daughter Terry Lee moved to Angola, Indiana where Don studied civil engineering at Tri State College and daughter Leslie Sue was born. Don milked 18 head of registered brown Swiss cows every morning before going to classes.

Don learned the building trade while serving as a Vice President at the Ruhlin Company in Akron, OH where sons Donald Scott and Jeffrey Rue were born. In 1974, Don started his own company, St.Clair Construction with partner Lewis Ball and two pickup trucks.

Don was an officer with the Akron Rotary, served on the Tallmadge Chamber of Commerce, and played golf.

Don loved golf.

Don and Nancy raised four children at the house they built in Tallmadge in 1967 where they lived until moving recently to the Gables of Green in Uniontown.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Carrie St.Clair; and six siblings, Earl, Jean, Judy, Barbara, Pat and Jerry.

Don is survived by his wife of 70 years, Nancy (Rue); children, Terry St.Clair (John Pavlis), Leslie St.Clair (Mark Lutz), Scott (Dee)St.Clair, and Jeff St.Clair (Marta Weist); eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and countless friends.

A memorial celebration will be held Saturday January 27, 12 pm-3 pm at Arrowhead Golf Club & Banquet Center, 1500 Rogwin Cir SW, North Canton, OH 44720 ·

Interment will be at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers donations in Donald's memory can be made to First Tee of Canton: https://firstteecanton.org/