Clayton Lloyd Foley

Clayton Lloyd Foley, 89, of La Conner, passed away at his home in Shelter Bay on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009.

He was born on December 11, 1920 in Casselton, North Dakota, one of five children born to Wilson and Elizabeth (Rouch) Foley. Clayton grew up in the town of Breckinridge, Minn. and after his high school graduation, he left Minnesota for southern California. It was there that he met Dorothy and the two were married in March 1942.

Soon after, Clayton joined the U.S. Army, was involved in repulsing the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands, and later saw action in the South Pacific theater. After the war he went to work for General Motors in Van Nuys, Calif. and remained with GM for 25 years until he retired in 1974.

The first 17 of his retirement years were spent in a home he built on Orcas Island.

In 1991 Clayton and Dorothy moved to the La Conner area where they lived out the remainder of their lives at Shelter Bay.

He joins his beloved wife Dorothy who entered heaven in 2005. Clayton is survived by his only child, Judy Ellen Hunter of Bainbridge Island, Wash. He also leaves behind his two grandchildren, Wendy Orear of Sausalito, Calif. and Traci Neal of Kaiser, Mo. as well as his great granddaughter, Emily Stafford.

Graveside services for Clayton will be held on Sunday, Jan. 24 at 11:45 a.m. at the Mount Baker Cemetery on Orcas Island. Arrangements are in the care of Evans Funeral Chapel & Crematory, Inc. To share memories of Clayton, sign the online guest register at www.evanschapel.com.