Clayton Bartlett Southard, 85, after a brief illness peacefully went home to be with the Lord on Feb. 20, 2007, at Jordan Hospital in Plymouth Ma. He was born Sept. 7 1921 in Dexter, Maine, the son of Guy Southard of Guilford Me. And Ellen Bartlett Southard of Winterport Me. Clayton was the second oldest of eleven children. His family moved to Massachusetts during his childhood where he lived on Martha’s Vineyard and later in Hingham where he graduated high school. He continued his education in agriculture at Stockbridge and upon completion, enrolled at Williams College where he enjoyed playing football. He left prematurely to join the navy after Pearl Harbor. He served in both the navy and the Coast Guard during WWII. He married his wife Evelyn Barbour on Nov. 19, 1944 and lived in Rockland Ma. And in 1956 settled in Duxbury Ma. With his wife and two children. He lived there until his passing.
Clayton was employed by New England Telephone Company for 40 years and happily spent another 15 years as a real estate agent from De Wolf Realty until the age of 80.
For many years he was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Rockland. He was past president of and Lt. Governor of Kiwanis. He was a member of the telephone pioneers and a supporter of the Special Olympics. He was a charter member at the Halifax Country Club. His all time favorite ball player was Ted Williams. The 2004 World Series Championship for the Red Sox was truly a once in a lifetime celebrated event.
Clayton was a devoted and beloved husband and father. He is loved and admired by all his grandchildren and great grandchildren. His family and friends will miss him greatly.
He is survived by his wife Evelyn Southard of Duxbury; daughters Nancy E. Reed of Duxbury and Gayle E. Carbone of Bradford Maine, and by his grandchildren Richard C. Brown III of Plymouth, Matthew L. Brown of Kingston, Amanda (Cushman) Abelar of Hudson, Christopher C. Jehlicka of Quincy, Joshua B. Forcier of Brewer, Maine and by Amber S. Davis of Brewer Maine , and by his great grandchildren Nicole Brown, Dylan Brown, Alexander Brown, and Grayson Brown, Elijah Brown, Jesse Brown, Alexis Cushman, Lucas Avelar and Justin Davis.
He is also survived by his sisters Beth Tory of Scituate, Priscilla Fern of N. Carolina, brother and Ellen Gelpke of N. Carolina and a brother Guy Southard of Marshfield, and many special nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be at MacDonald’s Funeral Home, Ocean Street, Marshfield Ma on Wednesday, February 28 @ 2:00 pm. Visiting hour from 1:00- 2:00, preceding the service. Burial will be private at Mayflower Cemetery Duxbury. Contributions in his memory may be made to the American Lung Association of Massachusetts, 460 Totten Pond Road Suite 400, Waltham Ma 02451-1991.