Carl Citron, 89, a resident and member of Heron Creek Country Club in North Port, Fla., passed away Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012, at Hospice House in Fort Myers, Fla., from complications due to recent surgery.

He was born June 3, 1923, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Max and Malvina Citron.

Mr. Citron was the younger of their two sons, and had an older half-brother and sister. He attended Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, for two years, and when World War II broke out, he joined the Army Air Corps. After Mr. Citron’s flight training was completed, he was assigned to the 786th squadron of the 466th bomber group in the Eighth Air Force, under Col. James A. “Jimmy” Stewart. He piloted B-24 bombers on 31 missions near the end of the war in the European theater. For more on Mr. Citron’s military career, please go to: http://donmooreswartales.com/2010/12/13/carl-citron/. He returned from the war, and completed his mechanical engineering degree at Case Western Reserve University. A few years later, Mr. Citron was married to the love of his life, Georgia Citron, who shared his life with him for 52 years. He worked and was well known in the machine tool industry for 45 years, as a manufacturer’s representative in the Northeast, as well as a national machine tool importer. Both of Mr. Citron’s sons had worked for him at one time, and followed him into this industry.

He is survived by his children and their spouses, Carl (Phyllis) Citron Jr. of Greensboro, N.C., Diane (John Oates) Citron of Rye, N.Y., and William (Rebecca) Citron of Lake in the Hills, Ill.; grandchildren, Erin Blair, Josh Citron, Rachel Oates and Charley Lanza; and four great-grandchildren.

There will be a service held in memory of Mr. Citron at 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012, at Farley Funeral Home in North Port. The service will be followed by interment at Restlawn Memorial Gardens cemetery in Port Charlotte, Fla. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mr. Citron’s name would be appreciated for the American Heart Association or another charity of choice.

Arrangements are by Farley Funeral Home, Venice, Fla.