William Riley Clayton

William Riley “Poor Boy Bill” Clayton, World War II veteran and devoted family man, died on July 11, 2014 at 91 years of age. Bill was born on August 9, 1922 in Stroud, Oklahoma to Mark Clayton and Thelma Catherine Waters. Bill graduated from Stroud High School in 1940. It was in Stroud where Bill met his wife of over 68 years, Wanda “Janie” English Clayton. Bill enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1942 and served his country for 24 years. He was stationed in Oklahoma, Texas, Iceland, Japan, and Morocco. After his honorable discharge in 1966, Bill opened his own exterminating business in El Paso, Texas. He loved checkers, the St. Louis Cardinals, crossword puzzles, and two kinds of pie hot and cold. He was famous for always asking people he met if he might be able to borrow a dollar and complemented all with “you just get prettier and prettier every time I see you.” He is survived by his wife Wanda, two children: Mark Clayton and Debbie Krasinski, seven grandchildren: Cory, Rebecca, Michael, and Kevin Clayton, Kathryn, Anna, and Stephanie Krasinski, and two great grandchildren: Cory Jr. and Jackson Clayton. Bill was a dear man with a deep inner wisdom wrapped in a country down-home charm. He will be missed. Funeral service will be held at the Parks Brothers Funeral Chapel on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 with Pastor Paul Ragle officiating. Burial will be in the Stroud Cemetery under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Service in Stroud,OK.