John Ingman Clifton

John Ingman Clifton, 91, passed away Monday, May 7, 2018, in Royal Oak, Michigan. He was born April 22, 1927, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Robert and Myrtle Clifton. He was raised in Detroit and graduated early from Cass Technical High School to enlist in the U.S. Navy during World War II, serving for 1 1/2 years as a pharmacist mate/medic.

He earned a bachelor's degree in education at Wayne State University and taught in Barstow Elementary School in Detroit. He married Betty V. Freese on August 11, 1951, and they resided in Detroit before moving to Colorado where he earned a master's degree in divinity at Denver Seminary. He served as an assistant pastor in Detroit for several years before returning to teaching.

He earned a master's degree in education at Wayne State University and was a teacher and principal for many years in the Warren Consolidated School District, living in Warren for 30 years. He retired in 1985, and he and Betty moved into the house he built with his own hands in Betty's hometown of Three Rivers, Michigan. He enjoyed the rural lifestyle on the Rocky River until 2017 when he moved to an assisted living facility in the Detroit area.

Teaching was a lifelong passion. He spent his free time teaching his six children the joys of nature, camping, gardening, how to read music and sing in four-part harmony, and encouraged all of his children to play an instrument. He taught them how to use tools to repair cars and fix and build houses. He was still taking community college classes on auto repair and welding into his seventies. It is noteworthy that all of his children chose careers that involved aspects of teaching.

Active in church since his youth, he demonstrated his deep faith and love for Jesus by serving as an elder, deacon, Sunday School teacher, leader in boys' clubs, mission board member, choir member, and leader of a men's quartet. In their sixties, John and Betty traveled to Australia, Papua New Guinea and Russia to visit their son and his family working in Bible Translation. In their seventies, he and Betty started a library at their church.

John was preceded in death by Betty Clifton, his faithful and loving wife of 54 years, son Stephen Clifton, sister Roberta Tassie, and brother William Clifton. He is survived by sons John Mark (Debbie) Clifton of Citra, FL, David Clifton of Clinton Township, MI, Philip (Julie) Clifton of Rochester Hills, MI and daughters Priscilla (Stephen) Lehman of Berkley, MI, Elizabeth (Gary) Bronstetter of Macomb, MI, and daughter-in-law Cynthia Clifton of Concord, CA, as well as 13 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

Visitation will be held at 10 am followed by a Memorial Service at 11 am on Saturday, June 16, 2018 at Highland Park Baptist Church, 28600 Lahser Rd., Southfield, MI 48034. Interment will be at Cadillac Memorial Gardens East at a later date.

Memorials may be directed to:

Grace Ministries International, 13248 Roscoe Blvd, Sun Valley, CA 91352 for his granddaughter, noting D&RP account #1608 on the memo line, or online at gracechurch.org, or:

Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628211, Orlando, FL 32862-8211 for his son, noting "John & Debbie Clifton" in the memo line.