Wayne Clay was born in 1938 in Coventry, CT, the son of Elias Francis and Anna MacDowell Clay. He graduated from Windham High School in Manchester, CT in 1956 and was appointed to West Point by Senator William A. Purtell.
He arrived at West Point fresh from high school yet mentally and physically prepared for the rigors of the Academy. He was an easy-going and likable cadet who worked well with all his classmates. His aptitude for scientific pursuits kept him on the dean’s list for most of his cadet career. Wayne’s spontaneity and enthusiasm flavored all his varied pursuits. He served as manager of the Baseball Team and secretary and treasurer of the Hi-Fi Club. He also was a member of the Radio, Sailing and Ski clubs.
At graduation, Wayne was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers. He married Nancy Moore, and they had two children; son Mark and daughter Alison.
Wayne attended the Engineer basic course at Fort Belvoir, VA and Airborne School at Fort Benning, GA. In 1961, he was assigned to the 307th Engineer Battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC for his first duty assignment. Then he was assigned to the Army Processing Agency in Seoul, South Korea in 1963. Subsequently, he was assigned to the 705th Mountain Battalion in 1964 and served in Vietnam as a captain in 1965.
Wayne resigned from the Army after returning from Vietnam in 1965. Following his resignation, he moved with his family to Colorado and began a 32-year career with Hewlett Packard, which included a transfer to McMinnville, OR in 1975.
Wayne and Nancy were divorced in 1974, and Wayne married Mary Hadfield in 1977. Wayne and Mary remained happily married for 28 years. Wayne became stepfather to Mary’s five children: Clif, Brian, Chris, Susan and Tim. His patience and perseverance were put to the test with seven teenagers under one roof! During that time Wayne remodeled and maintained the family’s lovely 1905 Craftsman home. The family continued to grow to include nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Wayne retired from Hewlett Packard after 36 years. His next endeavor was to become a financial planner. He was an avid gardener, even winning “Gardener of the Year” for their spectacular yard. He was also a great cook. The family enjoyed regular Sunday meals together long after the children were grown and on their own. He was known for his saying, “If you aren’t cooking, get out of the kitchen!” Wayne and his fellow parishioners of St. Barnabus Episcopal Church built a barbeque pit, which still stands today. There they prepared whole lambs for the Seder Supper. Wayne was memorialized by these friends with a handmade stone plaque placed at the site.
Wayne and Mary loved dancing, most often at the local Elks Club. He was a member of the McMinnville Elks Club, president of the Elks’ Camper Club and a member of the American Legion.
Wayne and Mary enjoyed extensive travel within the United States and abroad. Locally, they traveled with their fellow Elks in their beautiful RV. Since they were both originally from the East Coast, they visited their East Coast family and friends on multiple occasions, including a three-month stay in Florida. Other wonderful trips included Alaska, Germany and Spain. For Mary’s 70th birthday, Wayne surprised her with a trip to Ireland.
This man, who always worked so hard to make the lives of his loved ones good, died suddenly of a heart attack on March 6, 2005. His memory is cherished by all who had the pleasure of knowing and loving him. The family has remained very close since Wayne’s passing, with Mark and his family making several trips to visit the family center in Oregon. Alison is a missionary with trips to China and Israel.
— Company classmates and wife