A child of the Depression era, he saw his father, Joseph, supplement his painter's income by selling mallee roots that he collected while on regular trips to the Riverland.
Indeed, it was Clyde, bedridden in Canberra with a bout of the mumps in late 1963, who furiously lobbied via long-distance telephone calls to help Glen win preselection for West Torrens.
Alongside Don Dunstan, the ministry included such great performers as Des Corcoran, Len King, Hugh Hudson and Geoff Virgo, amongst others.
He was also renowned as one of the keenest billiard players amongst members of parliament" Over a five-year ministerial career, Glen held a range of portfolios, including fisheries, planning and development, community welfare and tourism.
During his tenure as a minister, Glen introduced a series of far- reaching initiatives, including the establishment of the Coast Protection Board, and a large increase in the areas of national parks and river wetlands.
Glen's major legacy was the introduction of the container deposit legislation completed in 1975 that saw cans and bottles reduced drastically as a source of litter across the state.
Just weeks after Glen's death at the palliative care unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Ian Kiernan, the chairman of Clean Up Australia, was in Adelaide singing the praises of our container deposit scheme.
Having stood down from the ministry in 1975 because of his wife Jill's failing health, Glen won the admiration and support of colleagues, constituents and the community when he forwent his political career to care for her full-time.
His devotion to his beloved Jill as she battled illness also led him to serve on the board of Multiple Sclerosis South Australia and the Northern Territory for more than a decade.
Glen's commitment to public life remained strong until very recently, as he played an influential role on the board of ETSA, as well as serving as deputy chairman of the power line environment committee.