Clifton "Cliff" Shirl Baldwin

Clifton “Cliff” Shirl Baldwin, 74, of Port Clinton, Ohio, passed away peacefully surrounded by family at his home on Saturday, August 12, 2023. He was born May 9, 1949, in Monterey, Tennessee, to Shirley Baldwin and Lois McDonald. An only child, he became a brother to many – classmates, fellow service members, co-workers, family members – throughout his life.

Cliff grew up in Dayton, Ohio, graduating from Belmont High School in 1967. At age 18, soon after beginning work at General Motors, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served more than one-and-a-half years and achieved the rank of Sergeant. He served more than 13 months as an artillery gunner in Vietnam before being honorably discharged in April 1970. His service awards include the Bronze Star, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and Good Conduct Medal.

After returning to Dayton, Cliff resumed his career at General Motors, working as a millwright at the Moraine Assembly plant. In February 1971, he met Yvonne Voisard, and the very next day they went on their first date to her cousin’s wedding in Russia, Ohio. In a classic case of “when you know, you know,” Cliff asked Yvonne to marry him on that first date, and they wed six months later. Yvonne’s parents, four brothers and their families really became Cliff’s family, too. The couple later welcomed daughters Amy and Cristy, raising them in Beavercreek, Ohio, until each went away to college.

After Cliff retired from GM with 30 years of service, he and Yvonne moved to the Port Clinton area in 1997, building a house near Lake Erie. “Catawba Cliff” stayed active by playing golf, fishing, skeet shooting, firing up the grill and smoker for visitors, and joining the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He served as the Exalted Ruler of the Port Clinton Elks Lodge 1718 in 2003-04, was District Deputy 2007-08 and remained an active member afterward. He was always happy to tell you about the times he won big money in the regular Elks drawings. He also was a life member of the VFW 7572 in Marblehead, Ohio, and a member of the Oliver H. Perry Masonic Lodge 341 in Port Clinton. Cliff and Yvonne loved Lake Erie life so much that they left only when northern Ohio winters made it more appealing to spend a few months in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

A normally reserved man, Cliff could be a feisty card player, often at his most animated when playing euchre with friends and family. A firm believer that “an ace is as good as trump,” Cliff taught countless people – friends, in-laws and even his granddaughters – how to play the popular card game. One of his specialties was keeping a stone face right before a big win, then pumping his fist and saying, “That’s euchre!”

In later life, Cliff managed various health issues with his can-do spirit. When not rooting for The Ohio State Buckeyes, he could be found absorbed in the latest episode of “Law & Order” or the National Geographic channel’s “The Incredible Dr. Pol.” He always enjoyed the company of friends and relatives, and his family wishes to thank Ed Rusch, Bobby Edwards and others who provided years of happy moments as well as practical help more recently.

Cliff was preceded in death by his father, Shirley Edgar Baldwin, and mother, Lois McDonald Smith, along with father-in-law, Joseph Voisard, mother-in-law, Mary Voisard, and brothers-in-law Lee Voisard and Alan Voisard. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Yvonne Baldwin, of Port Clinton; daughter Amy George and her husband, Jefferson, of Charlotte, North Carolina; daughter Cristy Brinegar and her husband, George, of Worthington, Ohio; granddaughters Lucy George, Penelope “Penny” George, Georgia Brinegar and Charlie Brinegar; sister-in-law Betty Voisard of Marblehead; brother-in-law Steve Voisard and his wife, Mary Ann, of Port Clinton; brother-in-law Mark Voisard and his wife, Faye, of Reno, Nevada; and many cousins, nephews and nieces.

Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Friday, August 18, at Neidecker, Crosser & Priesman Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 1124 Fulton St., Port Clinton. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 19, at Cliff and Yvonne’s longtime church, Immaculate Conception Church, 414 Madison St., Port Clinton. Interment will immediately follow at Catawba Island Cemetery, 4997 East Cemetery Road, Port Clinton, and all are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Cliff’s memory can be made to American Cancer Society Joseph S. and Jeannette M. Silber Hope Lodge, 11432 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, OH, 44106, and ProMedica Hospice Serving Northwest Ohio, 907 W. State St. A, Fremont, OH, 43420. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.neideckercrosserpriesman.com.