Raymond Clark Clayton Sr.

Ray grew up in Fresno, attending Heaton Elementary School, Washington Junior High School, Fresno High School where he was President of the Fresno High School Senate, and then Fresno State College, achieving a BA degree in economics in 1951. While a student, he volunteered for the National Guard of California, receiving an Honorable Discharge in 1949.

He continued his education matriculating with a J.D. degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1960. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1961, remaining an active member for the rest of his life. He started his legal career as a law clerk with his mentor and lifelong friend, William McDermott of Fresno. In 1961, he became a Deputy District Attorney for Madera County, CA, serving in that capacity until 1963 when he became the Assistant City Attorney of Bakersfield, Kern County, CA. In the five and a half years he continued in that position, he also acted as the director of the Kern County Mental Health Association, as a director of the Public Affairs Council of Kern County, as the legislative representative to the state legislature on behalf of the City of Bakersfield. He was also a part-time instructor of administrative law at Bakersfield Junior College. During his residency in Bakersfield, he became a member of the Bakersfield Elks Club, the Kern County Historical Society, the Exchange Club of Bakersfield, the Commonwealth Club of California, and the Kern County and American Bar Associations.

In 1969, he resigned to become the first full-time City Attorney of Thousand Oaks, Ventura County, CA, again acting as the legislative representative to the State legislature on behalf of the City of Thousand Oaks. He was instrumental with then councilman Charles Cohen in formulating the Thousand Oaks Oak Tree Ordinance which was enacted in 1970 and to this date protects the oak trees for which Thousand Oaks was named. He continued his many non-profit organizational activities with membership in the Thousand Oaks Kiwanis, Elks Club, Toastmasters, Rotary, and Ventura County Bar Associations. He delighted in being a member of the board of directors for the Conejo Players Theater from 1973 and 2008 and its audience was certainly multiplied by his urgings of friends and family for every play performed.

Between 1973 and 1998, he continued his legal career in private practice under the firm name of Cohen, Alexander & Clayton, later evolving to Alexander, Clayton & Wilson in Thousand Oaks, CA. It is notable that he achieved an AV pre-eminent rating with Martindale Hubbell, a rating which he maintained throughout his life.

During his time in private practice, he was General Counsel for South Coast Area Transit (Gold Coast Transit) receiving a 35 year service commendation, and was Special Counsel to the Conejo Recreation and Park District in Thousand Oaks between 1995 and 1998 for the purpose of acquiring, with director Tex Ward, the McCrea Ranch. His law firm was the legal guiding force from initiation to completion of the Rancho Sespe Farmworker Housing development in Fillmore, CA. He was exceptionally proud of the friends he made during the development and the fact that the project now has a completed community center, child care center, and 100 dwelling units. After formally “retiring” in 1998, he used his considerable legal expertise to take cases on a pro bono basis, assisting those who otherwise could not afford counsel.

Reading, travel, participating in the Osher Continuing Education Program at California State University Channel Islands, lecturing with the Lewis & Clark Foundation and contributing routinely to his church, Westlake Community Christian, were all passions he maintained throughout his life but his overwhelming love was for fly-fishing. He spent many summers wandering with family in Southwest Montana searching for his one dream trout, returning with many pictures of the fish he caught instead. In his adventures he created a lifelong friendship with Bob and Theo Walker of the T Lazy B ranch, a ranch that he considered his second home and friends he considered his second family. He was a proud member of the Sierra Club, Fly Fishing Federation and the Conejo Valley Fly Fishers and shared his love for fishing with his family and friends alike.

The love of his life, his wife, Patricia Richardson Molsick, predeceased him in 1990. He is survived by his daughter, Melissa Clayton and her sons, Zachary Davis and Alexander Davis, of Amanda, OH; his son and daughter-in-law, Ray and Julie Clayton and their daughter, Bailey of Simi Valley, CA; his step-daughter Pam Molsick and her partner, Helen Gibson, and their daughters, Haley and Camille Molsick-Gibson of Oakland, CA; his step-daughter Lisa Jones and her husband Mark Jones, of Santa Barbara, CA; and the sons and daughters of his beloved brother, Carl Clayton, who predeceased him. He is also survived by his lifelong friends.

A public memorial service will be held Friday, January 3, 2013 at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Mortuary, 5600 Lindero Canyon Road in Westlake at 10:00 AM.