Elden O. "Red" Clarke, 86, of St. Paul Homes in West Salem Township, Mercer County, and of 604 Prindle St., Sharon, died at 8:49 a.m. Monday in the critical care unit at UPMC Horizon, Greenville.

Born July 28, 1918, in Sharon, Mercer County, he was a son of Charles and Sunshine Clarke Hanks.

He was a lifelong Sharon-area resident and attended Hickory High School.

Mr. Clarke was a 43-year veteran of the former General American Transportation Corp. of Masury, Ohio. He began his career as an electrician in plant 1 and worked in the wheel and axle shop. He later worked in the inspection department and retired in 1980 as a quality control supervisor.

He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Sharon. He also was a Free and Accepted Mason and was member of the Sharon Masonic Lodge 250.During World War II, he was an airborne engineer in the South Pacific. He enjoyed golf, but his main interest was the Civil Air Patrol, where he held the rank of major and was the training officer for Squadron 1204 based at the former Chadderton Airfield in what was then Hickory Township. He also spent four years as a group commander and colonel at the Youngstown Air Base, achieved more than 600 hours of flying time and participated in more than 27 air search rescue missions.Surviving are his wife, Doris E. Stigleman Clarke, whom he married July 1, 1939; a daughter, Elaine A. Kendall and her husband, George J., of Butler; and two grandchildren, Jason Russell of Bear, Del., and Chad Russell, San Diego, Calif.A sister, Pansy B. Clarke, preceded him in death.

CLARKE - Friends of Elden O. Clarke, who died Monday, Nov. 22, 2004, will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. today at J. BRADLEY McGONIGLE FUNERAL HOME, 1090 E. State St., Sharon. Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home with the Rev. Dr. Glen Hink, senior pastor of his church, officiating. Entombment will be at Hillcrest Memorial Park, Hermitage. The Sharon Honor Guard will provide military honors.Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 600 E. State St., Sharon, PA 16146.Condolences may be e-mailed to McGonigleFuneralHome@infonline.net.