John "Ed" Clark Sr., 87, of Collinsville, Ill., born March 26, 1926, in East St. Louis, Ill., died at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013, at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, Ill.

At the young age of just 16, Ed enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He successfully completed 40 combat bombing missions and received numerous commendations, of those were the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Presidential Citation Medal. He went in the Navy as young boy and returned a hero. Ed was very active in several areas. He retired from the Louisville/Nashville Rail Road after 20 years, the Collinsville, Ill. Post Office after 15 years, and along with his loving wife Mary, they owned Clark Reality and Clark Investments for 20 years. He was a member of the Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Church, the Collinsville Knights of Columbus, the Collinsville American Legion and the Collinsville VFW where Ed was inducted into the Combat Hall of Fame in 1997.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary L., nee Crowell, Clark, whom he married on June 29, 1946; parents, Edward J. and Sarah, nee Gillen, Clark; sisters, Sarah Bean, Bridget Burgess and a sister in Ireland; and brother, Francis Clark.

Surviving are his son, Ed (Paula) Clark Jr. of Maryville, Ill.; daughters, Patty (Warren) Kerckhoff of Nashville, Tenn., and Margie (Brian) O'Dell of Granite City, Ill.; brother, Robert Clark of Melbourne, Fla.; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made in the form of Masses to Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Vitas Hospice or Alzheimer's Research. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.herrfuneral.com

Visitation: Friends may call from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Collinsville, Ill.

Funeral: Funeral services will be held at noon Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church with Father John Beveridge officiating. Burial will be at Lake View Memorial Gardens, Fairview Heights, Ill.