James Edward Clayton
CLAYTON, GIBSON, ALLEN, ALEXANDER, LOGUEFLOWER, THEOBALD, BAYAN, COOP, DALNODAR
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 6/7/2019 at 12:14:52
James Edward Clayton, 81, died peacefully Wednesday, June 5, 2019 at The Bird House Hospice Home surrounded by family.
Family and friends will celebrate Jim’s life on June 29, 2019, Saturday, from 11:30 to 2 PM at Lensing Oak Hill, 210 Holiday Road, Coralville, where a time of remembrance will be held at 12 PM. Jim donated his body to the University of Iowa Deeded Body Program. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to CommUnity Crisis Services & Food Bank, Iowa City Hospice, or The Bird House Hospice Home.
Jim was born August 17, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Luther and Berenice (Gibson) Clayton. He received a bachelor’s degree from Beloit College and served in the Marine Corps. He worked in sales for American Hospital Supply and Embosograph Display Manufacturing Co. in Chicago before purchasing in 1972 the DeSoto Hotel in Galena, Illinois which he ran with the help of his family for over a decade.
On April 24, 1985 Jim married Christine Allen in Iowa City.
Jim was a lifelong entrepreneur best known for running the Iowa City landmark, The Soap Opera, with Christine for thirty-three years.
Jim was very involved in the community. He served on the boards of the Crisis Center, ARC of Eastern Iowa, and the Downtown Association and volunteered with Big Brothers – Big Sisters and Stepping Up. Jim also served as the State of Iowa Chair for the Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
An avid outdoorsman, Jim took many a friend and relative canoeing, kayaking, camping and fishing. He loved to tour the globe with Christine, always taking the road less traveled. He was a handy do-it-yourselfer who custom-built his own kitchen cabinets and once overhauled a 1963 Alfa Romeo roadster in his garage. An avid homebrewer, he was also known for his famous ‘”Claytoni” pizza creations prepared in his outdoor cobb pizza oven.
Jim is survived by his wife Christine; his children, Joseph Clayton (Lisa Alexander) of Chevy Chase, MD, Jennifer Logueflower and Jane Clayton, both of Mineral Point, WI; four grandchildren, Benjamin, Samuel, Bodhi and Abel; his stepsons, Matthew Theobald (Semirra Bayan) of Rochester, MN, and Garrett Coop (Myra Stone) of Rockford, IL; his brothers, Robert (Arlene) Clayton and John Clayton (Jan Winter); his former spouse, Judith Clayton; and his “Little Brother,” Levi Dalnodar, who was matched to Jim at age 8 and continued to be in touch until the day before Jim’s death.
Online condolences may be sent to www.lensingfuneral.com
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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