John "Jack" Clayton

Jack is survived by his wife of 72 years, Nell Kay Clayton, daughter-in-law Donna Clayton-Lyle (married to Steven Lyle), granddaughter Kristin Clayton Moffett (married to Jeremy Moffett), grandson John Clayton (married to Kate Taylor Clayton), great-grandson Samuel Thomas Moffett, and great-granddaughter Margaret (Maggie) Lynne Moffett. He was predeceased in death by his son, Thomas Craig Clayton, of Cartersville, GA; his mother Lena Cox Clayton, and his father, John Floyd Clayton Sr.; his sisters, Alma Ferguson and Vivian Rice, his brother and sister-in-law, Frank "Bubba" and Shirley Kay, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins all of Richmond, VA.

Jack was born on October 4, 1926, the only son of a farmer in rural Richmond, Virginia. Born premature in the beginning of the depression, he beat all odds during an extremely hard era and graduated from John Marshall High School in 1943 at the age of 17. He was a proud member of the Cadet Corp during his high school years, and he had a deep respect for the United States Military. The same year he graduated high school he joined the Navy and served two years in the South Pacific during some of the most difficult years of World War II.

After being honorably discharged from WWII, Jack worked for Standard Oil Company for 9 years. He then spent the next 33 years working in sales for the AC Delco Division of General Motors, which afforded Jack and Nell the opportunity to live in Roanoke, VA, Syracuse, NY, and Jackson, MS. Upon retirement, Jack and Nell moved to Georgia to be close to their family. Soon after, he founded Distribution Warehouse Corporation (DWC) and Power Express Promotions, Inc. (PEPI) that coordinated automotive parts purchasing. He also served on the Board of Directors of Automotive Information Management (AIM), which was founded by his son, Tom.

Jack enjoyed life and loved people. He was a faithful member of Trinity United Methodist Church (Trinity at the Well) and former Sunday School teacher. He artfully told stories of growing up in the depression, playing semi-pro baseball, his tour in WWII, and how much things have changed in his lifetime. He was loved by many friends and was proud of his golf group at the Cartersville Country Club that played together for 20+ years. He never met a stranger and had great joy in bragging about his wife and his family, who knew they were his priority in life.

A service celebrating Jack's life will be held Friday, February 8, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. with Rev. Steven Lyle officiating at Owen Funeral Home Chapel. The family will receive friends on Thursday, February 7th, from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at Owen Funeral Home. The family asks that the Tuesday Golf Group be honorary pallbearers and sit together during the service. Other pallbearers will be Ron Pierce, Rick Wynn, Jeremy Moffett, and John Clayton. In lieu of flowers, a gift to Trinity at the Well in Jack's memory is appreciated.

Please visit www.owenfunerals.com to post tributes and sign the on-line register.

Owen Funeral Home, 12 Collins Dr., Cartersville, GA 30120 has charge of the arrangements.