Funeral services for Rudolph Hawthorne Clay, 91, of Eva will be today, April 30, 2013, at 1 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with Elder Ernie Stump officiating. The family will receive friends two hours prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial with military honors will be immediately following the funeral service at Burningtree Memorial Gardens.
Mr. Clay passed away Saturday, April 27, 2013, at Decatur Morgan Hospital. He was born May 14, 1921, in Marshall County to Homer C. Clay and Eva Anderson Clay. Mr. Clay served in the United States Navy during World War II, serving in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters. He fought in the invasions of Normandy, France and in Okinawa. He retired at the age of 74 from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America as an international representative, serving several states in the southeast for over 20 years. Prior to his service as an international representative, he served as a business agent for Local Union No. 1556 in Huntsville for 20 years. He was a caring and devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was a hard worker all his life and expected the same of others. His work ethic was unsurpassed.
Mr. Clay was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Venita J. Clay; his parents; brothers, John B. Clay and David Clay; and sisters, Bertha Bumgardner and Ruby Clay.
Survivors include his sisters, Ruth Shadell of Mayflower, Ark., and Thelma Pence (Alton) of Levelland, Texas; son, Michael Clay of Peachtree City, Ga; daughters, Connie Martin and husband, Barry Martin of Decatur, Anita Johnson of Gardendale and Barbara Swafford of New Hope; grandchildren, Clay Martin (Kim), Jennifer Crawford (Allen), Rebecca Barnes (Greg), Robbie Johnson (Becky), Michelle Johnson, Whitney Johnson, Matthew Clay and Alexandra Clay; ten great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Virginia and James “Zeb” Nelson of Eva and Dot and Jerry Summerford of Madison; and several special nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Jeff Bumgardner, Terry Stump, Chip Summerford, Joshua Pruitt, Wesley Stump and Jamie Barrentine.
The family would like to give special thanks to the nurses, staff, aides and other caregivers at U.S.A. Decatur Morgan Health and Rehab, who cared so much for Mr. Clay over the past three months. Not only did they care for him, but he also cared greatly for them.
