Clarence Niblick, 101 of Lakeland, Florida died on October 17, 2020 at home surrounded by his loving family.

If asked, "Nibs" would tell you the secret to a long life is to be physically and mentally active; love the work you do; live each day with purpose; and thank the good Lord above.

Born on June 16, 1919 in Decatur, Indiana, Clarence Edward Niblick was the fourth of six children and the eldest son of Anna Lichtle and John Niblick. The growing family soon moved to Celina, Ohio, where Clarence attended Immaculate Conception School, graduating High School in 1937.

When the U.S. entered World War II, Clarence was among the first to enlist, however due to a hernia he failed the physical. Determined to serve, Nibs at his own expense had corrective surgery and was inducted to the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942.

He was stationed in the South Pacific including the islands of American Samoa; Auckland, New Zealand; New Caledonia; and Bougainville. While at Guadalcanal, Clarence learned that his brother, John, was among the seaman who perished aboard the USS Plymouth when hit by a German U Boat torpedo just 120 miles off the coast of Virginia. In 1945, Staff Sergeant Clarence Niblick was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Barstow, California.

Like many servicemen following the war, Clarence was looking for work as well as seeking a purpose and direction for his life. He always felt fortunate to have discovered what would become a lifelong passion when he apprenticed under an experienced carpenter. He loved the exacting work and dedicated the next 75 years of his life to continuously growing and adapting his skills in the building trades.

In 1947 he married GernaDean Johnson and the couple settled in Van Wert, Ohio where they raised their five children. Clarence founded CE Niblick Construction and specialized in residential home construction and remodeling. While he enjoyed building custom houses, he was stimulated by the creative challenge and the complexities of breathing new life into existing homes.

In the mid-60's, Nibs worked countless hours on the construction of St. Mary's Catholic Church and he personally tithed the remodeling of the convent which served as home to the Dominican Sisters who taught his children at St. Mary's Catholic School.

Raising a large family and running a business left precious few hours for leisure. However, Clarence carved out time for planting a family garden and hunting seasonal game. He enjoyed league bowling and was proud to have rolled a perfect 300 during tournament play. On Sundays after Mass, he frequently visited relatives in nearby Celina, which always included sitting down to an afternoon game of Euchre.

Following the harsh Ohio winters of 1976-77, Clarence sought the warmth and sunshine of Winter Haven, Florida. The family became members of St. Matthew Catholic Church and made fast friends in their new Cypress Gardens neighborhood.

Clarence quickly became sought after for his carpentry skills and wife GernaDean, was frequently cast as a leading performer at Theatre Winter Haven. It was during this period while on vacation, the family fell in love with North Georgia and over the years built many happy memories at their cabin in the Great Smokies. In 2000, the Niblicks moved to Lakeland and became members of Resurrection Catholic Church.

Through the years Clarence was blessed with remarkably good health. He never met a stranger; he enjoyed sitting down with new friends who were always amazed at the vitality which belied his years. He tended the yard and worked daily in his wood shop designing and building handcrafted kitchen carts, Adirondack chairs and garden benches.

Mourning the loss of their father are son, Gern DeVogel, and his wife Kathryn of Van Wert, Ohio; daughter, Kim Niblick Long, and her husband Joseph of Winter Haven, Florida; and sons Reed Niblick of Lakeland, Florida; and David Niblick, of New York City.

Clarence was preceded in death by his beloved son, Jon Niblick, in 1974 and his wife of 65 years, GernaDean, in 2013.

In June 2019, Clarence shared a bit of wisdom with a reporter from The Daily Standard in Celina, Ohio who was covering his 100th Birthday Celebration. "Niblick believes people have to love what they do; be thankful for the life they have and work to make their life and the lives of the people around them better."

It is in this spirit, the family is requesting support for the Polk County Public Schools Construction Academies. Donations may be made electronically to the Polk Education Foundation In Memory of Clarence Niblick at https://polkschoolsfl.com/pef/donate/ or by mailing a check to Polk Education Foundation, 1530 Shumate Drive, Bartow, FL 33830 referencing In Memory of Clarence Niblick.