Carter Clay Towles

Carter Clay Towles was born on February 21, 1984, in Oklahoma City, sharing his birthday with his grandfather Henry Clay Towles. He was the happiest child there ever has been. Clay truly cared about others and knew no enemies. In the summers when he was young he played baseball with friends on the block and sailed at Lake Hefner. He loved afternoons watching the Cubs win, lose, or draw. As Clay entered his teens he taught sailing in the summers with Rob Berg and his sister Katy at Community on the Water along the south shore of Lake Hefner. The technical sailing skills weren’t as important as was teaching others to share the joy of sailing. He sailed on the Laser regatta circuit from Mission Bay to the St Francis Yacht Club, the Buffalo Canoe Club to The Southern Yacht Club, and the Houston Yacht Club, giving as good as he got. Clay attended Casady School from pre-k through high school graduation, playing football, swimming, and attending Chapel every day. He said that the chapel attendance, together with his formative years at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and his experience at St. Anselm’s of Canterbury at OU, led to his divinity study, which he pursued after graduating from OU. During summers, Clay was a counselor at Camp Classen, where he met Caitlin Bowers, the love of his life, whom he later married. They shared their life with two wonderful dogs. Upon graduation from The Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, he was ordained a priest in The Diocese of Oklahoma and became the Vicar at St. John’s mission, Vinita. Clay truly worshiped God and loved to share that worship with others. He will be sorely missed. Clay would want us to remember the merry twinkle in his eye and his grin as he joked, using his wry sense of humor. May he be remembered in your prayers.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Edward and Dutch Carter and Henry and Eleanora Towles. He is survived by his wife, Caitlin Bowers Towles, his parents Christian and Karen Towles, his sister Katy Towles, aunts and uncles Andy, Kathy, June and Paul Towles and Chris Carter and many cousins. Services will be held on Friday, October 24, 2014, at 4:00 p.m., at the Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor at Casady School in Oklahoma City. In lieu of flowers, Clay would have appreciated memorial gifts to be made to St. Crispin’s Youth Program (Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma) or to any organization that assists individuals experiencing emotional, mental, or educational difficulties.

Arrangements under the direction of Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper Funeral Directors, Oklahoma City, OK.