Please note that there is a really nice photo that
Anne Bucher (Palles) posted of her and J.D. together at a prom on her page.
John David Clayton, Jr.
February 1st, 1963 – May 13th, 1989
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“J.D.,” John David Clayton, Jr. was the first born son welcomed into this world February 1st, 1963 in Alton, Illinois to “Jeanne”Jean Ella (Hicks-Clayton) Aton (later married Dr. Guy W. Aton, M.D.) and “Jack” John David Clayton, Sr. (later married Joan “Joanie”(Mooney-Womack)Clayton). He is survived by two sisters, Jacquelyn “Jacki” Clayton, & her fiancé P. Michael Shewmaker, & Jennifer Clayton, a brother Jason Clayton, his wife Betsy (Clark-Klopfer)Clayton.
He never met his half-brother, Tim Kreitemeyer, or his stepbrother Eric & Sheila (McKee) Aton or his three step sisters, Jennifer Aton Cuenca & Vince Cuenca, Rachel Aton Henneghan & Aaron Henneghan and Sarah Aton Wade & Jason Wade. He is also survived by 13 nieces & nephews…Katelyn, Ashli, Clare, Douglas, Zachary, Elaine, JD, Michael, Molly, Jackson, Caleb, Grace, and Elliott.
He was an extremely bright young child with insurmountable curiosity that was the catapult to his never ending mischief. He loved the outdoors, and loved spending time in any capacity, amongst nature. He shared this love with two of his best friends, his brother, Jason, and his Father, Jack. He spent many summers travelling all over the country and camping with the whole family. Wisconsin State Fair in August was something the family always did together.
He loved sports, and tried just about every sport out there, but he excelled the most at Football. He started in 4A’s Football & Khoury League Baseball at a very young age. This would be the start of a lifelong love of sports. In fact, the night he died at age 26, he had a baseball game out at Gordon Moore Park.
He started his schooling years at Milton Elementary School, and Thomas Jefferson Elementary School. He then attended East Junior High School. He took his first shop class there & loved it. He was very creative, and was very good at figuring out technical problems. He loved working on the machines.
While at East, he started playing several instruments, including Guitar & Trumpet. This started his love of Music at this time, and had an extensive music collection that was quite eclectic. You would find everything from The Grateful Dead, America, Led Zepplin, Poco & the Pretenders, Eagles to Iggy Pop, U2, R.E.M. The Ramones, Bob Marley & Blondie to Alabama, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr. and Willie Nelson just to name a few. Growing up on Country Music influenced him in many ways, which was probably where he started calling himself a “Long Haired Country Boy” came from, and his love affair with his cowboy boots; you rarely saw him in anything else.
As J.D. got older, he was in Varsity Football his Sophmore year in High School. He loved playing in the games and everything that came with it. He was a man’s, man, and a ladies man. He loved his friends, and his girlfriends. All of his friends said that he was true blue, and would do anything for a friend in need, even give them the shirt off his back, and he always had your back. He was always very protective over all of his friends & family. All of the girls he dated said he was very sweet, and a true gentleman. I’m sure the influence of his close relationship with his Mother, one lady he truly adored, protected, and undoubtedly, thought the world of.
JD graduated Alton High School in 1981, and almost immediately went into the U.S. Navy at age 18. He served his bootcamp in sunny San Diego, and then, came home for a short stay before going to Chicago to find out where they were sending him. He scored so high on his tests, they told him they needed him in the Nuclear Division in Hawaii. Hawaii is where he would spend the majority of his career in the U.S. Navy working in Radcon. He wasn’t happy doing Nuclear work, and wanted to get back to what he loved doing…the technical stuff, and programming the machines. So, they finally gave into him, (he could be quite persuasive!) and he finished out the last 10 months or so working as a Machinist.
In 1985, He finished his days in the U.S. Navy in Hawaii, shipped his car to L.A., and then he, and two of his other buddies that were also being honorably discharged at the same time, decided to trek across this beautiful country of ours to see some of the amazing sites before returning home to life as civilians. Once home, JD settled into renting a home with friends, and one of his best friends, his sister Jacki. He took a job as a Bouncer at several nightclubs in the area, and continued to look for a Machinist job. He was hired on at Owen’s-Illinois Glass Factory, and worked there until his death.
Shortly after taking the job at O-I, J.D. bought a house on Brown St. where he, his girlfriend Connie, and her son Danny, as well as his sister Jacki lived until his death. Everyone was welcome at his house, and he had many get togethers there. After a baseball game at Gordon Moore, the night before he died on May 13th, 1989, he met his sister Jennifer and some friends out, and then he went to a friend’s house afterwards. He left his friend’s house in the early morning hours of May 13th 1989 to go home, and met with a fatal car accident.
His friend Jimmy was about a minute behind him, and found him. The Coroner pronounced him dead at the scene. It was quite unexpected, and we were all devastated at our loss. He definitely was taken from us too soon. There was no one like him, nor will there ever be…
J.D. didn’t know a stranger, and often was the life of the party. Everyone was drawn to him. Some people just have that “IT” factor, and he was one of them. He loved life, and everyone in it. He had a nickname for everyone he met, and usually so creative, they stuck. He was definitely one of a kind, and someone everyone loved.
J.D. lived life to the fullest, and tried to make every moment count. And in his 26 short years, he always did. He often would let everyone know that when he died, he wanted to be buried in his boots. So, maybe that was his little way of letting us know our time is short, live every moment as if it is your last, be who you are, and love the people around you, because it may be the last time you see them.
You hear of that all the time, people who just know they’re not going to be here for a long time will speak of “when they die”…maybe he was prophetically letting us know of his short years here by always announcing that he wanted to be buried in his boots, and so he was….
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Anne Bucher (Palles)
J.D. was a sweet and gentle country boy. He loved to party hard and laugh loud. We went to a prom together and he was a perfect gentleman. I will try to find a photo to download for his memorial. May his soul rest in peace.