Albert Clayton Pettit

Albert Clayton Pettit, Jr. , known as “A.C.” was born in Brownsville Arkansas. The oldest of 8 children, His family moved from Arkansas to settle in California. A.C. met Betty Lee Duncan while in middle school in Corona, CA and they married in 1955. AC and Betty have three children together, Terry, Sandra (Twinky), and Sheila. Eight grand children, Holly, Steven, Taylor, Melissa, Cody, JoVon, Quentin and Stacy and Twelve great-grand children. A.C., Betty, their children, and grandkids enjoyed vacationing together, and especially loved their camping trips to Pismo Beach. After 43 years of marriage A.C.’s beloved wife Betty passed away in 1998. A.C. remarried Terri Alton, and he was blessed to find love and companionship with her for 18 years. Terri passed away in 2018.

A.C. learned carpentry at an early age from his dad. They built homes and the family’s community Church together. After high school, he worked at an aluminum smelting Plant for a few years while studying to become an accountant . He was an accountant for Goslin Tire Service’s three stores and other subsidiary companies of EL Yeager Construction.

A.C. was an extremely gifted man. He was a master carpenter and constructed multiple homes and structures. He was a skillful woodworker. A.C. handcrafted many pieces of beautiful wood furniture. He was very talented and resourceful when anything needed to be repaired.

A.C. had a great love for music and enjoyed playing his multitude of collected guitars and his hand-crafted guitars he enjoyed creating. He was a musician that could pretty much pick up an instrument and make music. He especially liked Country music. Merle Haggard was one of his favorites. He had the pleasure of meeting Merle several times.

A.C. was adept at managing finances and regularly dispensed specific financial advice to his family that was spot on. He would say “minimal risk will get you minimal returns. Substantial risk may bring you bankruptcy. Calculated risk will bring you lush dividends.”

You rarely found A.C. sitting on a couch watching TV. He was in the garage puttering around or fixing something. He made rocking chairs for his great-grand kids, rabbit cages for a grandchild. If someone needed something built or repaired he could hammer it out in a jiffy.

A.C. enjoyed his backyard full of chickens and birds. He loved sitting on his back patio eating walnuts off his tree with his dog, Skippy. He

was also a motorcycle enthusiast through much of his life and rode both dirt and street bikes.

A.C. was a good dad, he taught his son Terry, how to change oil in a car at 5 years old, carpentry as a teen and how to love and care for his wife. He taught his daughters how to change a tire, build dog houses, and shingle a roof. He even taught his daughter, Sheila how to cast a chicken’s broken leg.

A.C. was greatly loved and admired by his family and friends. He was a good man on this earth and will be missed tremendously.

As you left his home after a visit, you always heard the same phrase from AC. “you don’t need to run off”.