Clayton Roberts
Norwich — Col. Clayton R. Roberts USAF (Ret), of Norwich, went to be with the Lord Sept. 26, 2017. Born in Gasport, N.Y., on Oct. 1, 1922, he was the son of the late William and Lillian Roberts.
Clayton grew up in Lockport, N.Y., and graduated from Lockport High School, Class of 1940. He was a 1960 graduate of Sacramento State College. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Clayton enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps for pilot training. He was commissioned as a pilot in May 1944, and proudly served in World War II, the Korean War and the Cold War as a heavy bomber Aircraft Commander flying B-24 and B-29 aircraft.
In August of 1965, he retired with the rank of colonel in the U.S. Air Force and, from 1966 to 1970, Col. Roberts served as the intelligence officer at the Army Nuclear Weapons Storage Facility in Savanna, Ill. From 1970, until his retirement in January 1992, Clayton served as the director of security and safety at Supervisor of Shipbuilding, U.S. Navy, Electric Boat Division in Groton, monitoring compliance with terms of classified government submarine contracts. In his retirement, he chaired the Norwich Public School Technology Committee and was president of Woodshire Estates Corporation in Bolton Landing, N.Y.
Flying was his first love, and serving his country was an honor he would do all over again, if only able. When reminded that he was one of the greatest generation, he would always reply, “I believe my parents were the greatest generation for they raised me.”
He is survived by his two nieces, Susan Jones (Hagenbach) of Connecticut and Molly Jones Ulrich (Jerry) of Lockport, N.Y.; great-niece, Lindsy Yeager and her children, Madelyn and Cole; and great-nephews, Bret, Gregory and Scott Jones of California. He was predeceased by his brother, Nelson Roberts, sister, Loraine (Jones), his twin brother, Carlton Roberts, and nephew, Roger Jones.
A private memorial service will be held at the convenience of the family through Lange Funeral Home in Lockport, N.Y.
In the spirit of Colonel Roberts’ dedication and support of his two favorite charities, we ask that donations in his memory be made to either Paralyzed Veterans of America, 801 Eighteenth St. NW, Washington, DC 20006 or American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East FL8, Philadelphia, PA, 19106-2155.
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