Earl Clymer, indefatigable Renton booster
For nearly three decades, Earl Clymer was as familiar a face in Renton's civic life as you could find.
Two-term mayor, 18-year council member, longtime elementary-school teacher and indefatigable booster (he was seldom seen without an "I love Renton" button), Mr. Clymer was acknowledged by political friends and foes alike as an exceptionally decent and fair-minded man.
As a council member and as mayor, Mr. Clymer was known for his efforts to protect Renton's aquifer, expand its parks system and senior-citizen services, and attract and retain businesses.
"You'd be hard-pressed to go anywhere in this town and not see my dad's fingerprints," Mr. Clymer's son, Stephen, said Sunday.
Mr. Clymer died Dec. 20 at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after a massive stroke. He was 81.
A scion of one of Renton's pioneer families (indeed, the Clymers' arrival in the area preceded the city's creation by several decades), Mr. Clymer was born in the city in 1925 and called it home his entire life.
On his 17th birthday, Mr. Clymer quit high school, his son recalled, to join the Navy; he participated in the invasions of North Africa and Sicily during World War II.
After the war, he returned to South King County and became a teacher, eventually spending close to three decades at Rainier View Elementary School in South Seattle.
He was first elected to Renton's City Council in 1969 and remained there until 1987, when he was elected to the first of his two terms as mayor.
Mr. Clymer's tenure was marked by the expansion of the network of parks, trails and open spaces, and his efforts to protect the city's aquifer — including a controversial ordinance that regulated the use, storage and production of gasoline and other chemicals in certain areas.
His two terms also included a strike by city employees in 1993, the opening of Paccar's new Kenworth truck plant and the arrival in 1994 of Ikea's landmark home-furnishings store, which draws customers from throughout the Northwest to Renton. In good times and bad, Mr. Clymer maintained an unflappable demeanor and his signature "getting to yes" philosophy.
After he was defeated for a third term in 1995, Mr. Clymer retained his interest in civic affairs and education, volunteering to read to students at Renton schools. Following a stroke about three years ago, Stephen Clymer said, his father resided at the Talbot Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Renton.
Mr. Clymer was preceded in death by his wife, Diane; a daughter, Christina; and two sisters, Dorothy Boode and Marge Cooper.
Survivors include three children: Stephen, Carren Donati, Teresa Flora and Judy Austin; a sister, Beverly Sitzes, and a brother, Ron; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
A public viewing will be held from noon to 4 p.m. today at Faull-Stokes Mortuary in Renton. A memorial service will be held Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Renton.
Drew DeSilver: 206-464-3145 or ddesilver@seattletimes.com