James Norman Clayton

James was born on February 27, 1930, in Austin, Texas, at his family’s home in Hyde Park. On May 14, 1955, he married Lillian Tiemann, who passed away September 11th of last year after 70 years of marriage. He was a member of Hyde Park Baptist Church his whole life, and was one of their oldest members. He was proud to be a true Austin native and often mentioned that he had spent most of his life within a 5-mile radius of the city center. James often shared memories of his formative experiences in Austin and connected them to its rich history. He truly knew Austin in a unique way.

He graduated from Austin High School in 1948 and served in the United States Navy on the USS Higbee, a destroyer based out of San Diego. After returning from the Navy, he worked for and retired from the Lower Colorado River Authority, serving in various positions, from repairing meters to operating the hydroelectric dams that power Lake Austin and Lake Travis.

He was the penultimate tinkerer with an extraordinary gift for fixing things for others. One of his most well-known hobbies was repairing neighbors’ broken hardware – weed eaters, vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, etc. He was a very practical person who saw the value of repairing rather than replacing items.

He was extraordinarily independent. If he could do it himself, he would – and that was most things. When he was in his 90’s, Lillian forbade him from doing things, like climbing on the roof of their house, but it was likely under duress.

He placed a high value on integrity, both his own and others'. If he said he was going to do something, he would. If you told him you were going to do something, he expected you would. He was known to be a man of true convictions and worshipped faithfully at his church throughout his 96 years.

He is survived by his daughter, Cynthia, his son-in-law, Brice, and their children, Kathleen and Kelly Bartek. Also, his son Robert, daughter-in-law Stacy, and their children Paige, Will, and Price Clayton.