Donn Clendenon

(Died September 17, 2005)

Sioux Falls ~ Donn Clendenon, of 2709 Sandstone Circle, died at his residence following a courageous battle with cancer.

There will be a memorial visitation from 7:00 – 9:00 PM Friday, September 23, 2005 at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls with Memory Sharing Tributes to begin at 8:00 PM.

Donn Alvin Clendenon, son of Claude W. and Helen (Moore) Clendenon, was born July 15, 1935 at Neosho, MO. At the age of 2, his father died and the family moved to Atlanta, GA. His mother married Nish Williams, an amateur league baseball player, whom became Donn’s dad and athletic mentor. Donn grew up in Atlanta where he graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1952 and graduated from Morehouse College in 1956 with a BS. Degree in Mathematics and Physical Education. He began teaching and coaching in Atlanta from 1957 – 1959. He participated in Professional Baseball from 1957 – 1973. He played baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, and the New York Mets where he was named Most Valuable Player in the 1969 World Series.

He ran a successful family-run restaurant named Donn Clendenon’s Supper Club in Atlanta, GA for several years. He worked with Mellon National Bank and Trust, the Allegheny District Attorney’s Office, and U.S. Steel, all of Pittsburgh, PA. He also worked with Scripto Inc. in Atlanta, GA, General Electric Corp. in New York, New York, and Mead Corp. in Dayton, OH.

He returned to college at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA graduating with a Juris Doctor Degree in May 1978. He worked with the Montgomery County Public Defenders Office, DAP, Inc., Bostick, Guerren & Clendenon Attorneys, all in Dayton, OH. He worked with Western International Contractors, Inc., and the Chicago Economic Development Corporation. In 1987 he moved to Sioux Falls, SD where he was an attorney with Carlsen, Carter, Hoy & Eirinberg, PC, and served as the Executive Director of the South Dakota Centennial Games. He was a chemical dependency counselor at Keystone Carroll Treatment Center, and General Counsel for the Interstate Audit Corporation in Sioux Falls.

Donn loved to golf, watch sports, read, and spend time with his family and his Pug dogs, Poe & Kota.

Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Anne Clendenon, Sioux Falls, SD; two sons, Donn Clendenon Jr., Philadelphia, PA, Val (Carla) Clendenon, Atlanta, GA; a daughter, Donna Clendenon, Sioux Falls, SD; six grandsons, Nicholas, Matthew, Andrew, Brandon, Alex, and Dalton; a sister, Yvonne (Booker) Randall, Atlanta, GA; an uncle, Bertrum Griggs, Pasadena, CA; two aunts, Romelia and Ruby Moore, Atlanta, GA; four cousins, Billy (Mable) Reid, Atlanta, GA, Jerald Moore, Atlanta, GA, Ronald Strickland, Pasadena, CA, Diane Griggs, Los Angeles, CA; father and mother-in-law, Loren and Mary L. Scott, Howard, SD; five brothers-in-law, Greg (Teresa) Scott, Wentworth, SD, Chuck Scott, Sioux Falls, SD, Dan (Suzi) Scott, St. Paul, MN, Tim (Darla) Scott, Sioux Falls, SD, Steve (Kari) Scott, Gary, SD; three sisters-in-law, Julie (Ray) Oines, Brookings, SD, Maria (Jeff) Jeremiason, St. Peter, MN, Kristen (Rob) Johnston, Sioux Falls, SD; 20 nieces and nephews; his former wife, Deanna Clendenon, Philadelphia, PA; and a host of other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and stepfather.