Clyde Sylvester Gudermuth

Clyde S. Gudermuth Jr., 84, passed away peacefully at home in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on August 27, 2025. Clyde was born on November 23, 1940, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Clyde S. Gudermuth Sr. and Marjorie Asbridge Gudermuth, who preceded him in death.

He graduated from Webster Groves High School in 1959, where he was the catcher for the baseball team and center for the football team until two big hits knocked him in the direction of joining the choir. There he developed his love of music by singing as a tenor. He once said he would have enjoyed composing a symphony.

Clyde earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Missouri School of Mines (now University of Missouri Science and Technology) in Rolla, Missouri, in 1963. He was a member of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. He also earned his MBA from University of Dayton in 1976 on the GI Bill.

While in Rolla, he met Leslie Davenport, who was teaching at the local high school. Clyde never actually proposed to her – instead simply talking about “after we get married.” They were wed on May 16, 1964, in Eldon, Missouri.

Clyde served his country as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot, a role he truly loved. After military flight school, he deployed in October 1965 to Bien Hoa, Vietnam, rising to Section Leader and Aircraft Commander with the 1st Platoon “Scorpions” of the 118th Assault Helicopter Company “Thunderbirds”, 145th Aviation Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Group, Military Assistance Command – Vietnam (MAC-V). During the summer of 1966, he was shot down twice in a 24-hour period. Once a grenade was thrown into his cockpit but did not explode. Clyde kept it on his desk for decades. He was awarded the Air Medal nine times (nine oak leaf clusters) for meritorious achievement. He also flew celebrities for the USO tours in Vietnam, including Ann-Margret, which would result in his children jokingly saying “Daddy’s girlfriend” was on TV during Bob Hope specials aired in the 1970’s. On many Thanksgivings, he would recount being in a firefight and sharing an MRE for their Thanksgiving meal with another young soldier from St. Louis.

Following his Vietnam service, Clyde became a test pilot at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona, helping select the site where NASA tested the Apollo Lunar Rover and even transporting Wernher von Braun. His flying career included memorable moments—passing under the Golden Gate Bridge, landing in the Rose Bowl, and being treated to dinner by Bob Hope after a chance airfield encounter. Clyde left active service in 1967 as a Captain and continued as an instructor pilot with the Missouri and Ohio National Guards until 1978. His children delighted when his unit flew over the house so they could run outside and wave to him.

In 1978 he began his long career at Plastics Research and Development Company (now PRADCO). He retired in 2000 as Executive Director of Manufacturing. He was an expert in plastics injection molding design. He had eight registered patents, including for a vented plastic injection molding machine and for several different fishing lure designs. His research was published in industry journals including Plastics Engineering, Plastics Technology, Plastics in Appliances, and the Modern Plastics Encyclopedia. He was a Charter President of the Society of Plastics Engineers and was on the Board of Directors for the American Production and Inventory Control Society.

Clyde taught Sunday school, faithfully attended men’s Bible study, and even preached for a time. He attended First Christian Church. He served the church as Board Chairman, Stewardship Chairman, Capital Planning Committee Chairman, and was a member of its Board of Elders. He is surely quizzing the saints on the meaning of many scriptures right now.

Second only to the Lord was his love for Cardinals baseball, although he was never really satisfied with their pitching, probably as a result of having seen Bob Gibson pitch in person. He attended games at each of the three ballparks in which they played, and took the trolley to games by himself before the age of eight.

Clyde also enjoyed Civil War history (often dragging his family to battlefields), Sherlock Holmes stories (which briefly inspired him to smoke a pipe), and an endless supply of puns. He disliked big cities, refusing to take Leslie to New York for example, although he was willing to go to a few cities to visit his children and grandchildren. He might have preferred a forest in Bavaria—the land of his ancestors—but planted enough pine trees in his backyard to create one of his own.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Leslie Davenport Gudermuth, and two children, Lori Gudermuth Weigel and her husband Jeff Piehl of Denver, Colorado, and Ted Gudermuth of Fort Smith, Arkansas. He was a proud grandfather to Vivian Kay Weigel of Boston, Massachusetts; Henry Clyde Weigel of Spokane, Washington; and Wyatt Sterling Gudermuth of Austin, Texas. He is also survived by his sister, Carolyn Gudermuth Silva of Gloucester, Massachusetts, as well as seven nieces and three nephews. His family will always cherish his humor, intellect, and unwavering love, and feel his absence deeply.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, September 12, 2025, at 11:00 AM at First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, 3501 Rogers Avenue in Ft. Smith. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to First Christian Church, in honor of Clyde’s lifelong service and devotion.