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Clark E. Redlinger Sep 24 2008
Funeral services for Clark E. Redlinger, age 83, of Watertown, SD will be at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 28, 2008, in the First United Methodist Church, Watertown. Rev. Eric Grinager will officiate. Music will be provided by Blair Titze, organist, and Lynn Sharp, soloist. Clark passed away on Wednesday, September 24, 2008, in the hospital in Watertown. Burial will be in the Mt. Hope Cemetery, Watertown. Honorary pallbearers will be the employees of Redlinger Bros. Active pallbearers will be Clark’s grandchildren: Matt Noell, Rebecca Noell, Hayden Heaphy III, Clark Redlinger, Adam Redlinger, Jeremy Seeman, Jason Seeman, and Ryan Seeman. Visitation will be in the Crawford Funeral Chapel, Watertown, on Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. and Sunday prior to services at the church. The family is requested to meet at the church on Sunday by 1:30 p.m. for a prayer service. Memorials may be directed to Watertown Quarterback Club, Prairie Lakes Healthcare System, or the Watertown Municipal Band. Clark was born on October 28, 1924 in Watertown. His parents, Orson and Alice (Allen) Redlinger (the spelling changed after World War I) raised their three children Reva, Howard, and Clark in a home that still stands on 10th Avenue NW. He attended and was a graduate of Watertown High School’s “Class of 1942”. After high school he worked at Hagger Drug and Cave Supply. He married the love of his life, Mary Ann Williscroft, on February 2, 1951. While still in high school, Clark and his brother, Howard, helped their father in his plumbing business after school and on weekends. It was the brothers’ dream to someday open a plumbing business of their own. Howard and Clark made a pact that if they both were around after World War II they would open a plumbing business. On April 1, 1946, their dream came true when they opened the doors to Redlinger Bros. Plumbing and Heating. In 1960, Clark and Howard opened a second office in Yankton, SD. The company grew to become one of the premier mechanical contracting companies in the Midwest, with projects being completed in South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, and North Carolina. Clark retired in 1989. His son, Jim, now runs the company which has offices in Watertown, Yankton, and Aberdeen, SD. Clark’s interests spanned many areas, and he was able to make an impact from a service standpoint in all of them. From education to music to health care to community service to mechanical contracting, Clark worked diligently to better each area by giving personally of his time, talent, and financial support. Clark had a reputation for having incredible wisdom and insight for needs and solutions. Like the Merrill Lynch commercial, “when Clark speaks, people listen.” Clark served on several boards in the community. He believed that service is essential, and he gave his time and talents to the boards of the Memorial Medical Center, Prairie Lakes Healthcare Center, Watertown Norwest Bank, the Human Service Agency, and the Human Services Foundation. Clark also participated in the founding boards for the Lake Area Technical Institute and Watertown Community Foundation, was a board member and president of the Watertown Chamber of Commerce, and served on the board of the Watertown Boys and Girls Club. He was active in his church, serving on the Methodist Church Building Committee and played his saxophone in the Watertown Municipal Band for over 40 years. Clark served on the Mount Marty Board of Trustees for 12 years and up to the present, he served on the college’s Building and Grounds Committee. He also served on the South Dakota Economical Development Finance Authority Team under Governor Michelson and as National President of the American Institute of Constructors, an organization which promotes professionalism in the construction industry. Clark received much gratitude for his years of service. When Clark received the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc.) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, Bob O’Connor, President of the O’Connor Group of Sioux Falls had this to say about Clark, “Clark always jokes that he is a K-12 plumber, but if PhD’s were given out for integrity, class, workmanship and honesty, Clark’s wall would be full of diplomas.” Clark recently received an honorary doctorate degree from Mount Marty College. In his nomination letter, Dr. James T. Barry, President of Mount Marty College, wrote these words about Clark, “Howard Gardner, in his 1995 publication of Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership, defines leaders as “persons who, by word and/or personal example, markedly influence the behaviors, thoughts, and/or feelings of a significant number of their fellow human beings.” (p.9) Clark Redlinger exhibits the qualities of leadership as described by Gardner. Through his actions and words, Clark has had great impact on his fellow citizens/community members in Watertown. His voice and example have provided leadership that has affected this community in significant ways in areas of health and education. For these reasons and those to follow, I nominate Clark Redlinger for an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to be awarded to him in the spring of 2007.” On June 26, 2007, Prairie Lakes Healthcare System dedicated the new hospital atrium to Clark and Mary Ann Redlinger. The plaque, which hangs in the atrium, reads “In honor of their love and devotion to each other and their community.” Mary Ann graciously shared her husband with Prairie Lakes Healthcare System for more than three decades. As a charter member of the Prairie Lakes Healthcare System Board of Directors, Clark helped develop Prairie Lakes into a nationally recognized medical center. Their legacy of love and leadership is exemplified by the compassion and care provided here every day.” This atrium truly honors the generous, caring, and loving spirit embodied by both Clark and Mary Ann for their family and their community. In September 2007, Clark was inducted into the SD Hall of Fame. Clark is survived by his three children: Jill (David) Noell, Billings MT; Jann (Hayden) Heaphy, Sheridan, WY, and Jim (Lori) Redlinger, Watertown, SD; and eight grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, in 2006; his parents; one brother, Howard; and one sister, Reva.

Clark E. Redlinger
Sep 24 2008

Funeral services for Clark E. Redlinger, age 83, of Watertown, SD will be at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 28, 2008, in the First United Methodist Church, Watertown. Rev. Eric Grinager will officiate. Music will be provided by Blair Titze, organist, and Lynn Sharp, soloist. Clark passed away on Wednesday, September 24, 2008, in the hospital in Watertown.

Burial will be in the Mt. Hope Cemetery, Watertown. Honorary pallbearers will be the employees of Redlinger Bros. Active pallbearers will be Clark’s grandchildren: Matt Noell, Rebecca Noell, Hayden Heaphy III, Clark Redlinger, Adam Redlinger, Jeremy Seeman, Jason Seeman, and Ryan Seeman.

Visitation will be in the Crawford Funeral Chapel, Watertown, on Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. and Sunday prior to services at the church. The family is requested to meet at the church on Sunday by 1:30 p.m. for a prayer service.

Memorials may be directed to Watertown Quarterback Club, Prairie Lakes Healthcare System, or the Watertown Municipal Band.

Clark was born on October 28, 1924 in Watertown. His parents, Orson and Alice (Allen) Redlinger (the spelling changed after World War I) raised their three children Reva, Howard, and Clark in a home that still stands on 10th Avenue NW. He attended and was a graduate of Watertown High School’s “Class of 1942”. After high school he worked at Hagger Drug and Cave Supply. He married the love of his life, Mary Ann Williscroft, on February 2, 1951.

While still in high school, Clark and his brother, Howard, helped their father in his plumbing business after school and on weekends. It was the brothers’ dream to someday open a plumbing business of their own. Howard and Clark made a pact that if they both were around after World War II they would open a plumbing business. On April 1, 1946, their dream came true when they opened the doors to Redlinger Bros. Plumbing and Heating. In 1960, Clark and Howard opened a second office in Yankton, SD. The company grew to become one of the premier mechanical contracting companies in the Midwest, with projects being completed in South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, and North Carolina. Clark retired in 1989. His son, Jim, now runs the company which has offices in Watertown, Yankton, and Aberdeen, SD.

Clark’s interests spanned many areas, and he was able to make an impact from a service standpoint in all of them. From education to music to health care to community service to mechanical contracting, Clark worked diligently to better each area by giving personally of his time, talent, and financial support. Clark had a reputation for having incredible wisdom and insight for needs and solutions. Like the Merrill Lynch commercial, “when Clark speaks, people listen.”

Clark served on several boards in the community. He believed that service is essential, and he gave his time and talents to the boards of the Memorial Medical Center, Prairie Lakes Healthcare Center, Watertown Norwest Bank, the Human Service Agency, and the Human Services Foundation. Clark also participated in the founding boards for the Lake Area Technical Institute and Watertown Community Foundation, was a board member and president of the Watertown Chamber of Commerce, and served on the board of the Watertown Boys and Girls Club. He was active in his church, serving on the Methodist Church Building Committee and played his saxophone in the Watertown Municipal Band for over 40 years. Clark served on the Mount Marty Board of Trustees for 12 years and up to the present, he served on the college’s Building and Grounds Committee. He also served on the South Dakota Economical Development Finance Authority Team under Governor Michelson and as National President of the American Institute of Constructors, an organization which promotes professionalism in the construction industry.

Clark received much gratitude for his years of service. When Clark received the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc.) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, Bob O’Connor, President of the O’Connor Group of Sioux Falls had this to say about Clark, “Clark always jokes that he is a K-12 plumber, but if PhD’s were given out for integrity, class, workmanship and honesty, Clark’s wall would be full of diplomas.”

Clark recently received an honorary doctorate degree from Mount Marty College. In his nomination letter, Dr. James T. Barry, President of Mount Marty College, wrote these words about Clark, “Howard Gardner, in his 1995 publication of Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership, defines leaders as “persons who, by word and/or personal example, markedly influence the behaviors, thoughts, and/or feelings of a significant number of their fellow human beings.” (p.9) Clark Redlinger exhibits the qualities of leadership as described by Gardner. Through his actions and words, Clark has had great impact on his fellow citizens/community members in Watertown. His voice and example have provided leadership that has affected this community in significant ways in areas of health and education. For these reasons and those to follow, I nominate Clark Redlinger for an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to be awarded to him in the spring of 2007.”

On June 26, 2007, Prairie Lakes Healthcare System dedicated the new hospital atrium to Clark and Mary Ann Redlinger. The plaque, which hangs in the atrium, reads “In honor of their love and devotion to each other and their community.” Mary Ann graciously shared her husband with Prairie Lakes Healthcare System for more than three decades. As a charter member of the Prairie Lakes Healthcare System Board of Directors, Clark helped develop Prairie Lakes into a nationally recognized medical center. Their legacy of love and leadership is exemplified by the compassion and care provided here every day.” This atrium truly honors the generous, caring, and loving spirit embodied by both Clark and Mary Ann for their family and their community. In September 2007, Clark was inducted into the SD Hall of Fame.

Clark is survived by his three children: Jill (David) Noell, Billings MT; Jann (Hayden) Heaphy, Sheridan, WY, and Jim (Lori) Redlinger, Watertown, SD; and eight grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, in 2006; his parents; one brother, Howard; and one sister, Reva.

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