Clayton Richard Howerton, 85, of Chillicothe, passed away on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.
Although Clayton was raised in Portsmouth, Ohio, he was born to Margaret R. (Bauer) and Clayton B. Howerton at St. Ann’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio on February 12, 1937.
The Flood of 1937 forced the family to Columbus for his joyous arrival. Clayton was a proud 1955 graduate of Portsmouth High School where he was a member of the undefeated 1954 football team. This led to a football scholarship to Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky, where he attended for two years.
He is survived by his wife, Linda L. (Rhoads) Howerton; eldest daughter, Karen S. Shaw, her husband Dean, daughter Dana, and her two children, Aubrey and Laeden, all of Virginia; middle daughter Amy R. Selby, her husband Hunter, and son Nicholas, all of Virginia; youngest daughter, Deittra J. Heritage; and also a very special niece and her husband, Crystal and Dave Looper.
Clayton retired as Chief Printer from the Mead Paper Corporation following 32 years of employment, and was blessed shortly thereafter with a heart transplant in 2000. The family is grateful to the donor family and God for the added years of life this provided, and for the peaceful transition afforded to him to return to Jesus.
His greatest joy later in life was giving to others, music from the 50’s and 60’s, sharing stories with anyone who would listen, his church community, and taking day trips in the car with his wife. He loved learning about new things, especially in the field of Science and Industry.
The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to their church family at Tabernacle Baptist Church, the Cleveland Clinic and University of Cleveland’s Heart Transplant Teams of 2000, the OSU Ross Heart Hospital and their dedicated team of doctors, nurses, aides, and receptionists, the Adena Hospice Team, and the many, many medical professionals that provided support, laughter, and care over the last 22 years. We would also like to give special thanks to our daughter Deittra for the love and support, especially during the final weeks, days, and hours of Clayton’s care.
A funeral service will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, January 14, 2023 at the Tabernacle Baptist Church, 221 E. Main Street, Chillicothe, OH 45601 with Pastor Chris Brown officiating. Burial will follow in Scioto Burial Park, McDermott, Ohio. Friends may join the family for visitation from 10:00am until the time of the service.