F. Clay Clifton

FORT WORTH, Texas -- F. Clay Clifton, 90, passed away peacefully Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, in a Fort Worth rehabilitation care facility.

A celebration of life will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Greenwood Chapel, 3100 White Settlement Road in Fort Worth. Interment will be in Greenwood Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas or the Children's Closet at University Christian Church in Fort Worth.

Clay Clifton was born Oct. 10, 1926, in Yount, Missouri, to William P. and Beulah Carson Clifton.

After growing up in Yount and in Flat River, Missouri, he enlisted at age 17 in the Army Air Corps and participated in a specialized training program at Washington University and at South Dakota State College. He proudly served his country in active duty between 1945 and 1947 with the Army Air Corps and regular Army.

Upon leaving the Army, Clay returned home to Missouri, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in 1949 from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.

Following graduation, he married Mary Frances Borchelt of Cape Girardeau, a happy union that lasted over 65 years.

Also following graduation, Clay joined the marketing and distribution division of Standard Oil Co. (Indiana), which later would become Amoco Oil Co. His career with Amoco would span 37 years. As a true "company man," he went where the job was. His Amoco career led to multiple stops across Missouri before he and his family relocated to Dallas, New Orleans and finally Houston, where he retired in 1986. As an Amoco field sales manager, Clay managed a team of territory managers and was responsible for developing and managing Amoco's retail dealer organization in several states. He thoroughly enjoyed the people he met and worked with.

Following retirement, Clay spent his time playing golf, enjoying friends and family and working part time as a real-estate appraiser.

Clay and Mary Frances relocated to Fort Worth in 1998 to be closer to family, ultimately settling in at The Vantage at Cityview retirement community.

Clay was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and a true friend to all those he met.

While living in Fort Worth, he and Mary Frances were members at University Christian Church. He was a member of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Valley of Fort Worth; a past member of The Grand Lodge of Texas and The Grand Lodge of Missouri, and the Kiwanis Club of Cape Girardeau. He was also a past member of the Moslah Shrine in Fort Worth.

Clay was preceded in death by his spouse, Mary Frances Clifton; a brother, Carl N. Clifton; and his sister, Zola Grace Kirchner.

Survivors include sons, William Clay (Sally Tomei) Clifton of Dallas and Bella Vista, Arkansas, Thomas Andrew (Adrianne Wurtz) Clifton of Midland, Texas, and Robert Steven (Marie Lindsay) Clifton of Dallas and Fort Worth; grandchildren, Thomas Andrew Clifton Jr., Katherine Mary Clifton (fiance Daniel Peters), Martin Taylor Clifton (Laci Turner), Clay Matthew Clifton, Carson Paul Clifton, Caroline Lindsay Clifton and Claire Michelle Clifton; great-grandson, Turner Brooks Clifton; and nephew, Michael S. (Kathy) Clifton of Colleyville, Texas.

As Clay often said, he had a good life. He left this life ready to see his Lord and Mary Frances.

The family wishes to thank his good friends from The Vantage, especially Bill McKee, Wanda Ordile and Molley Michel, for their friendship and the support they showed Clay over the last few years.