Clarence Parks Custer, of Palm Coast, Florida, formerly of Youngstown, died on September 8, after suffering a stroke on June 3 at the home of his daughter, Maxine Kling in the Anderson Twp. area of Cincinnati. Last October he celebrated his 100th birthday both in Youngstown and in the Cincinnati area with friends and family. Clarence enjoyed the loving friendship of all who knew him especially that of his family, his companion JoAnn Gaulin, and the many friends at the Palm Coast Tennis Center and the gym at the Belle Terre Swim & Racquet Club in Palm Coast, Florida. Before he retired multiple times, Clarence spent his career at the Isaly Dairy Company, rising to the position of general sales manager of the Youngstown Division. Clarence was born in Akron, Ohio on October 24, 1915 to James R. and Clara L. Parks Watkins. After the death of his mother he was raised by his mother's sister and husband Nora N. and Millwood A. Custer in Midland, Pennsylvania. Graduating from Midland High School in 1933, he played on the school's football team that won the 1931 Western Pennsylvania championship. His football coach also taught him the basics of tennis, which had become a great part of his life to this day. At age 19 he canoed from Pittsburgh to New Orleans, and in 1935 he rode his Harley Davidson from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles. After graduating from high school during the depression, Clarence worked at the Crucible Steel Company in Midland on a part-time basis, then in late 1933 left to work as a clerk at the local Isaly Dairy store in Midland because it offered more job security and the opportunity for advancement. Clarence eventually became the manager of the Midland store before moving to Youngstown to become the manager of "big" Isaly's store at the Mahoning Avenue plant location. He then progressed through the ranks to become district supervisor and general sales manager of the Youngstown Division. Isaly was community oriented and for many years sponsored the Ohio Hard Courts Tennis Championships. Clarence was heavily involved in tennis and squash in the Youngstown area. He won three city squash titles and placed third in Ohio on three occasions and played tennis with top players in the eastern Ohio area. Clarence and Rose Marie Shevenaugh were married at Presentation Catholic Church in Midland on May 14, 1938. When Clarence and Marie moved to the Youngstown area in 1951 they resided on Glendale Avenue in Boardman where they raised their two daughters, C. Maxine and Janet M. Maxine and her husband Robert J. Kling reside in Anderson Twp., in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio. Janet and her husband Paul D. Hershey live in Boardman. Clarence and Marie have 5 grandchildren; Robert M. (Colleen) Kling, Gregory S. (Kim) Kling, Jeffrey P. (Michelle) Kling, Julie M. (Steve) Parks, living in the Cincinnati area; and Kristen M. (Brian) Schell, living in Nashville, Tennessee; and 11 great-grandchildren. In 1963 Clarence was instrumental in the founding of the Boardman Tennis and Swim Club on West Blvd. in Boardman and was one of its original directors. The Club recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013 and Clarence was on hand for that event. In 1965, at the age of 50, Clarence retired from Isaly and with his wife Marie opened the Mill Creek Dairy store on Schenley Avenue on Youngstown's west side. After 5 years they sold the business and again retired. After a few months of leisure he joined with Paul Morris, an old tennis friend, as the general manager of Morris Sports on Market Street in Youngstown. The store became the leading sporting goods store in the tri-state area. Paul sold the business in 1978 and retired to Palm Coast, Florida. Clarence then became the manager of the Youngstown Racquet Club on Western Reserve Road for the next ten years, finally retiring again in 1988. Marie and Clarence were then enticed by Paul Morris to relocate to Palm Coast. His wife Marie died in Palm Coast on April 16, 1996. Clarence was a long time member of the Players Club in Palm Coast. When it closed he was active in the effort to have the city establish its own Palm Coast Tennis Center where he played daily until recently. He also continued to exercise three days per week at the Belle Terre Swim & Racquet Club in Palm Coast, and was even exercising in Cincinnati on the day of his stroke. Clarence carried the Olympic torch when it traveled through Flagler County, Florida on December 7, 2001 for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. At the age of 90 he was featured in the AARP magazine's July/August 2005 edition for his athleticism. In 2007 he was elected to the Youngstown Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame in the category of tennis. Clarence was preceded in death by his half-sister, Ruth Watkins Williams of Akron: three brothers, the children of Nora and Millwood; Claude C. Custer, Dr. Millwood A. Custer, and Dr. Robert L. Custer. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday at the Fox Funeral Home in Boardman. There will be prayers at 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Fox Funeral Home followed by a mass of Christian burial at 10 a.m. at St. Charles Church.