Clay Kirby peacefully passed at the age of 97 on March 24, 2023, at Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, Tennessee. A faithful servant, he is receiving his reward.
He was born to Pascal H. and Mamie Kirby in Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee. He was the oldest of six children.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Navy at the age of 16. Clay served on the USS San Jacinto during WWII, serving his country as an Electricians Mate II. The men he served alongside became like family to him, and he looked forward to reconnecting with them at yearly reunions.
He returned to Kentucky following the war and settled down in Bowling Green before moving to Louisville with his new bride, Dora Martin Kirby. He spent most of his life working as an electrician for the Courier Journal & Louisville Times and WHAS television station.
Clay loved everything outside. He took great pride working in his yard to make it look like a golf course and could often be found outside tending to his garden. One thing that is true of Clay is he never met a stranger. Because of this, he was a man of many names – Clay, Daddy, PaPa, PaPa Great, Pop, Uncle Clay and Mr. Clay! He was always the first to greet people when they entered church and enjoyed making people laugh. His teasing will be missed by many.
However, what was most important to Clay was his family. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and great-grandfather. He was the daddy that was your rock and your friend. He was always involved in whatever activity his children and grandchildren were involved in. In fact, he moved state to state 4 times following his grandchildren so he could be involved in their daily lives.
Clay is survived by his wife, Charlotte Chaffin Kirby; son from his first marriage, Keith (Lyn) Kirby, granddaughter, Caitlin (Shay) Shaver, and great-grandson, Bradley; daughter from his first marriage Saundra (Michael) Thornton, granddaughter, Meredith (Jay) Brocklebank and great-grandchildren Ty, Charli, Emmalynn, and Lily Jo, as well as granddaughter, Andie (Drew) Longinotti and great-grandson, Elias.
He has dozens and dozens of nieces and nephews that love their Uncle Clay. Clay and Charlotte were married for 15 years, and he was a loving father figure to Eddie (Shonda) Chaffin and Janice (David) Blier. He was a proud grandfather to Austin and Elliott (Eddie) as well as Lucas (deceased), Andrew, J.D., and Sarah (Janice). He was also a brother-in-law to Allen Scoggin and Caroline Scoggin.
He is also survived by his sisters, Mary (Joe) Reynolds, Martha (Realus) Motley; brother-in-law, Charles McDonald; and stepsisters, Rosa Wyatt and Edith Skaggs.
He is preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Dora Martin Kirby; his parents, Pascal H. and Mamie Kirby; his stepmother, Beatrice Kirby; his brother, Harold (Roseanne) Kirby; and sisters, Sue Ritter and Janice McDonald.
A funeral service is scheduled for 12:00 noon on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at Woodbine Funeral Home, Hickory Chapel 5852 Nolensville Road with visitation from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Graveside service with Military Honors will be Thursday, March 30, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at Fairview Cemetery, 1209 Fairview Avenue, Bowling Green, KY. https://www.woodbinefuneralhome.com
In lieu of flowers, please donate to: Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort, Inc. PO Box 111180 Nashville, TN 37222- https://www.disasterreliefeffort.org
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