Sept 3, 1945 ~ June 3, 2020
Fred Eli Clayson, 74, passed away on Wednesday, June 3, 2020. He was born in Sheridan, Wyoming on September 3, 1945, the son of Eli Karl and Beulah Memmott Clayson. He grew up in Sheridan for the first 10 years of his life before his family moved to the "big city" Orem, Utah. Fred always considered himself a lifelong Wyoming cowboy.
He attended Brigham Young University where he received his Bachelor's Degree. Fred finished medical school at the University of Utah in three years and used his extra months before graduation to work in a bush hospital in Liberia and also complete a fellowship on cholera in Yugoslavia. Fred finished his education by completing an ophthalmology residency at the University of Indiana.
Fred served the northern Utah communities as an eye doctor and surgeon for 43 years. He considered many of his patients to be good friends. He was a member of the Weber County Medical Society, the Ogden Surgical Society and the Rotary Club of Ogden.
Fred served a mission in Austria for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He married Martha "Marti" McBride on November 3, 1979 in the Los Angeles Temple. He served as Bishop of the 92nd Singles Ward in Ogden. Fred served for many years as a gospel doctrine teacher and ward organist in the Forest Green Ward.
From competing in piano competitions as a child to singing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Fred's love of music permeated his life. He was part of the Weber State Alumni Singers. A highlight of his life was being a bass in the Tabernacle Choir for 15 years. Fred and Marti have enjoyed traveling to every continent in the world. After retiring, Fred enjoyed writing "creative nonfiction" stories and broadening his horizons by auditing all types of classes at Weber State University.
Fred is survived by his loving wife, Martha "Marti" Clayson of Ogden; son Scott Austin Clayson and wife Jill Clayson of Ogden; son Bradford Eli Clayson of Salt Lake City; daughter, Karen Ann Clayson of Ogden and three grandchildren: Morgan, Landon and Ian. Fred's siblings include Dr. Karl R. Clayson of Sacramento, California, Karen Clayson Batt of Idaho Falls, Idaho and Dr. Stephen E. Clayson of Salt Lake City, Utah. He was preceded in death by his parents, Eli and Beulah Clayson.
A family service will be held Friday, June 12, 2020 at Lindquist's Memorial Gardens of the Wasatch. Friends may visit with family on Thursday, June 11th from 5 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist's Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd.
Condolences may be shared at: www.lindquistmortuary.com.