Clinton Glen Wax

Clinton Glen Wax, born in Philadelphia in July 1951, lived a life marked by technical skill, curiosity, and an enduring interest in science and communication. He was the youngest of three siblings: brother to Harvey Wax and sister Dr. Francene Black (née Wax), and the son of Jean (née Pearl) and Samuel Wax, who was known, among other things, for serving as president of the Mailers’ Union.

When Clint’s father died suddenly in 1962, Clint was twelve years old. From that time forward, he demonstrated an independent and resilient spirit that characterized much of his life.

Clint grew up in Philadelphia. It was at Northeast High School that he met his high school sweetheart, Carol Lynne Goodman. The two later married and welcomed their daughter, Heather. Their marriage later ended in divorce.

During his early adulthood, Clint earned an associate’s degree in electrical engineering from Philadelphia Community College, becoming the first member of his family to graduate from college.

In 1983, Clint married Maria O’Leary McFadden. Through this marriage, Clint became stepfather to Maria’s daughter, Kathleen McFadden. Clint and Maria later welcomed their daughter, Melanie.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Clint worked in the field of electronics and telecommunications. He was employed as an engineer for Bell Telephone before establishing his own businesses, including Ace TV Service and later CW Discount TV Service, which operated from a storefront on Frankford Avenue. He also briefly operated a water ice truck, but his primary professional focus remained in electronics and television repair.

Clint was also an early adopter of personal computing, beginning with the Atari CRX80 in 1981 and progressing through early Commodore computers before later working with IBM XT and AT systems. As computing technology rapidly evolved, he moved through a wide range of programming languages as they became available, continually expanding his technical skills and adapting to new systems.

In the 1990s and beyond, Clint developed database software which he sold to small businesses. His earliest work began as a database of practical “tricks and tips” for television repair shops. As television repair became less widespread, this work evolved into more generalized small business software he named "Transact," also produced by his personal firm Datalabs, which remained his primary business name for the rest of his life.

In the 2000s, reflecting both his entrepreneurial spirit and his technical creativity through Datalabs, Clint returned to his longstanding interest in telecommunications by designing and selling PBX systems for small businesses.

Clint was devoted to his family and took pride in the accomplishments and lives of his children and grandchildren. He believed strongly in fairness and racial equality and sought to treat others with respect and dignity. He loved the Jersey Shore and shared in family celebrations, including Fourth of July gatherings. For many years he enjoyed singing and playing guitar with friends. He was a licensed ham radio operator from his early years and maintained a lifelong interest in radio and broadcasting. Over time, he developed friendships with many individuals in the broadcasting industry, relationships he valued greatly. He had a deep appreciation for music and especially enjoyed the music of the 1960s and 1970s, including artists such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and other mainstream and psychedelic music that defined the Baby Boomer era. He also maintained lasting friendships from his youth, including members of a friendship group known as the Punzies.

Clint valued conversation and debate and always had topics to discuss from his deep intellectual curiosity and interest in science, technology, philosophy, and world events. He held a strong interest in physics, astronomy, and space exploration and maintained a lifelong fascination with the possibility of life elsewhere in the cosmos. He loved NASA, studied physics texts and emerging scientific theories, and often tried on his own theoretical ideas about the structure of the universe. Clint’s daughters and grandchildren remember him as a constant teacher and conversationalist, always ready to explain the principles of science—atoms, relativity, electricity and radio, and the mysteries of the cosmos. His conversations often combined scientific curiosity with his characteristic dark humor, including speculation about the many possible ways civilization might one day come to an end. It was often said that he missed his calling as a stand-up comedian, and could leave friends and family members doubled over with laughter, often about humanity and the inconsistencies of human logic and behavior, or alternatively about certain doom.

Clint also enjoyed discussing twentieth-century history, particularly the lived experiences of the Baby Boomer generation in the United States and the modern story of the nation of Israel. Though he was mostly non-religious, he unflinchingly pondered philosophical and spiritual questions throughout his life. Alongside these compelling interests, he also knew about important matters of everyday living, specifically including Philadelphia’s best pizza and cheesesteaks.

When asked what he would like engraved on his gravestone, he chose Maxwell’s second equation, reflecting his passion for electronics and the order of things in the universe, as well as the discoveries of science.

Clint is survived by his sister Dr. Francene Black, brother Harvey Wax, daughter Heather Lori Wax-Machell and grandson Jarin S. Machell, daughter Melanie N. Wax and grandchildren Riley Trainham and Eve Smith, and step-daughter Kathleen McFadden and grand-daughter Sarah McFadden.