Bill Muter

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - Clyde William "Bill" Muter, 64, formerly of Warren, died Friday, February 23, 2007 in Poway, Calif. He was born November 15, 1942 in Macon, Ga., the son of Dr. Clyde W. and Catherine Muter, and had lived in the San Diego area the past 19 years.

Mr. Muter was a 1960 graduate of Warren G. Harding High School, attended Iowa State University, and graduated from Youngstown State University. He joined the U.S. Marines following graduation from college. As a young lieutenant in 1967-68, he served as a recon platoon commander, with his platoon attached to BLT 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines during heavy fighting along the Demilitarized Zone in Vietnam. He received a Silver Star for bravery in combat in 1968 as a member of the Delta Company, 3rd Recon Battalion, and also received two Bronze Stars and three Purple Hearts. He had reached the rank of captain when discharged.

He was the Ohio high school champion in the 100-yard butterfly in 1959 and 1960, and an All-American and Big Eight Conference titlist in the butterfly and backstroke at Iowa State (1960-62). He was a former Olympic Trials qualifier in swimming and a 15-year veteran of master's swimming. Swimming World magazine wrote articles about him, most recently an October, 2005 feature entitled "Winning at Any Age."

He returned to Warren each year to participate in the Memorial Day parade, and had been involved over the years with the Warren Veteran's Memorial project as well as the mausoleum at Union Cemetery. He was elected to the Warren Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.

Surviving are his wife, Heather Pearson of Alhambra, Calif.; two sons: Marine 1st Lieutenant Malcolm Muter, stationed in Iraq, and Merritt Francis Muter of Alhambra, Calif.; three daughters: Maren Beatty of West Richland, Wash., Macon Lane of San Diego, Calif., and Marra Muter of Portland, Ore.; eight grandchildren; two brothers: Philip Muter of Portland, Ore., and George Muter of Cadillac, Mich.; and two sisters: Claudia Sock of Princeton, N.J., and Pam McGuire of Knoxville, Tenn. Preceding him in death are his parents and a daughter, Mecia Bennett, who died in 2003.

Local services will be 1:30 pm Tuesday, May 15, 2007 in front of the Vietnam Memorial at Monument Park in downtown Warren. All friends and family are invited to attend.

Please visit www.mcfarlandfuneral.com to view this obituary and send condolences.