If you’ve ever stopped by The Pointe, you have probably noticed Clyde and his overalls. Good humored and quick with a smile and hello, Clyde, is the kind of guy you would like as a neighbor and friend, which he has been to many, since moving to The Pointe 5 years ago. Born and raised in Lemont, IL, Clyde comes from a traditional farming family of Irish/German descent. His ancestors came to the United States through New Orleans, where they settled for 5 years. From there, they migrated north to Kansas where they continued farming. Clyde, who rode a horse to school, worked his family’s farm in Lamont until his father stopped working and sold the farm. 

In 1953, Clyde joined the army and was stationed in Giessen, Germany. While there, he traveled to England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Austria and Italy. Of course, Germany and Ireland were his favorite countries, but he loved them all. Hamburg, Germany was his favorite city and he found the German people to be extremely kind and friendly to all of the soldiers. Clyde recalls that he and many of the soldiers would send the local children into town to buy them fresh breads and sausages. He remarked how they always came back with the exact change and the soldiers would “tip” them.

When back in the states, Clyde worked as a stationary engineer at a local factory in Chicago. His job was to check on the boilers that the factory used. Clyde worked there until he retired. During that period, Clyde realized that he was an alcoholic. His marriage had ended in divorce and he was to the point where he was afraid he would literally “die on skid row”. Clyde himself, joined Alcoholics Anonymous and proudly states that he has been sober for 38 years. He credits AA for saving his life and said he could have never done it without them