David Clay Death, Obituary – Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of David Clay of Fresno, California, who has passed away untimely and unexpectedly. He attended Gordon High School as a student. While he was at Gordon, he was a member of the football team, he was involved in the Key Club, and he held the position of president of the Glee Club with great pride.
David also participated in the youth choir at White Oak Hills Baptist Church. It was there that he first met Martha Umphrey, who would later become his wife. In 1966, immediately following his graduation from high school, David enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve. On November 1, 1967, he tied the knot with his high school love, Martha, and the following day he reported for active duty in the United States Navy.
First-class Cryptologic Technician, Reserve During the time of the Vietnam War, David Jefferson Clay was stationed in Pensacola, Florida, as well as the Philippines and Japan. In 1987, he took his retirement from the United States Navy Reserve. When David received his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Georgia State University in 1974, he became the first member of his family to get a degree from an accredited institution or university. Both WRAS and WSB were broadcasting stations that he worked at while he was stationed there.
David’s lengthy and successful career at Southern Bell/AT&T saw him rise through the ranks to several managerial roles over the course of his 26 years as a leader before he finally retired in 2004. His career as an educator began and finished with positions with the Boy Scouts of America, Atlanta Council, and the Georgia Department of Corrections, Lawrenceville. He worked for AT&T for the most of his working life.
In 1984, David and Martha made the move to Snellville, where they established themselves as residents for the next 37 years and brought up their two kids, Darren Jefferson and Jason Andrew. David’s life was heavily influenced by his faith, his family, and his friends. He had previously been a member of a number of congregations, such as the White Oak Hills Baptist Church in Atlanta, the Church of the New Covenant Presbyterian in Doraville, and the Conyers Presbyterian Church.