6.02.2009

Wonderful Father, Grandfather, and Friend

It's still so hard to believe that my grandfather (his nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren call him Jamie) passed away on Saturday.  Jamie was an extraordinary person...  we all will miss him!  My uncle and dad did a great job writing about him, and I wanted to share it with you all.  

James Boyd Clayton, 82, of DeLand, Florida went home to be with his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on May 30, 2009. Glory to God! He is survived by his beloved wife, Nancy, of 58 years, his daughters, Elizabeth (Chris) Riley, Martha (Kirk) Bauer, and Susan Blanchard Hipp, his nine grandchildren, Ashley (Kevin Harvill), Lauren (David Brown), Clayton, Rozier, Boyd, Meredith, Christopher, Katherine and Jeffrey, and his three great grandchildren, Emma, Morgan, and Kaden. Born in Lexington, NC, Jim received God's gift of eternal life by repenting of his sins and believing that Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, came into the world and dwelt in a body of flesh, and that He went to the cross bearing all men's sins, and that He paid for those sins by laying down His sinless life. Jesus was buried, and rose again the third day, and now sits at the right hand of God the Father as the advocate of all those who will trust in His finished work that He accomplished on the cross at Calvary. Throughout his life, Jim encouraged others to trust Jesus Christ, and to live in a way that would be pleasing to God. Jim served in WWII in the U.S. Navy, attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and received his law degree from Stetson University College of Law. He practiced law for 35 years, often representing the disadvantaged. He was licensed to practice law in all Florida Courts, Federal Courts, and the United States Supreme Court. He was the first president of the West Volusia YMCA, a member of the Volusia County School Board, and served on many local and state non-profit organizations. A true patriot throughout his life, Jim encouraged local, state and Federal government officials to serve the public with integrity. He was a faithful and loving husband, father (and father-in law), grandfather and great-grandfather and will be greatly missed until we have a glorious reunion with the Lord. A memorial service will be held at the First United Methodist Church in DeLand, Florida on Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Fellowship Tract League, P.O. Box 164, Lebanon, OH, 45036.

4 comments:

JBBGirl said...

What a beautiful testimony and legacy to leave behind. My prayers are with your family during this ever so difficult time!

Troy Eckhardt said...

May our God and Saviour bless you and comfort you, and may our time apart from loved ones be short in the scope of all eternity.

Rebekah said...

I'm so sorry to hear...we'll be praying for y'all.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to hear of your loss. We'll be praying for you and your family...Jana