Clay Deck Weight, age 92, peacefully passed away on January 23, 2021 in Georgetown as a result of coronavirus. He was born in Washington, D.C. on October 27, 1928 to Clarence and Beatrice Weight. He grew up in Roanoke, Virginia and Ashland, Kentucky.
His military career began in 1946 after his graduation from Ashland High School. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. After graduation in 1950, he was commissioned as 2nd Lt. in the USAF. The following year he attended Ellington Navigation Flight School in Houston, TX. He flew operational missions in Europe and Korea, after which he received the Air Medal and Korean Service Medal. He returned to the U.S. to attend N.C. State College, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering in 1956.
In 1955 he married Maxine Dodd of Raleigh, N.C. while he attended N.C. State College. He was assigned to the Air Research and Development Command in Baltimore, MD. then later assigned to Nuclear Weapons Testing at Andrews AFB, MD. From 1960-1964 he was assigned to AF Missile Testing at Patrick AFB, FL. At Patrick AFB, he was instrumental in developing the Advanced Range Instrumentation ships and supporting Telemetry and Recovery aircraft to extend the national capability to support missile development and testing. After attending the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA in 1965 he was assigned to AF Satellite Control Facility in Los Angeles, CA.
He was promoted to the rank of Colonel in 1971 and returned to AF Systems Command at Andrews AFB, MD. In 1975 he was assigned to AF Contract Management Division in Albuquerque, NM as Chief of Staff and Vice Commander, where he contributed to the overview of contractors involved in acquisition of major AF weapons, such as the B-1 Bomber, satellite programs and the F-16 Fighter. He was awarded the Legion of Merit three times for meritorious service to the United States Air Force.
After his retirement from the Air Force in 1978, Colonel Weight remained in Albuquerque and worked as manager for the development installation and initial operations of a nuclear survivable communications network. He remained in Albuquerque until 1997, when he and Maxine moved to Sun City, TX. After moving to Sun City he became involved in many activities, especially tennis and golf. He had many friends and was a person of strong character and integrity. He will be greatly missed.
Deck was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Beatrice Weight; his twin sister, Beatrice Matthews (of Cincinnati, OH); and his younger brother, Donald Weight (of Sacramento, CA.) Those left behind to cherish his memory are his wife of 66 years, Maxine; two daughters, Candace Henson and Karen Ivancevich; son-in-law, Steve Ivancevich; and grandson, Clay Deck Henson (all of Georgetown, TX); and his sister, Pauline Wuerdeman of Mims, FL.
A graveside service with military honors will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 16, 2021 at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, TX.
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