Clive Elliott

Clive Elliott

West Des Moines - Clive Elliott, 82, made his final exit from the world on September 1, 2018 at Fountain West Health Care Center. He was born May 19, 1936 to British parents living in Bilbao and spent his early years in northern Spain. He was 11 when his family returned to England. As a schoolboy, Clive fell in love with the theatre and was determined to become an actor, graduating with honors from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1957, he began his professional career, working as an actor, director, writer, and choreographer in British theatre, television, and film. In the 1970's he found new joy as a teacher at the Guildford School of Acting.

Clive first came to Iowa in 1981 at the invitation of the Iowa Arts Council. As he toured the state, performing and teaching in countless schools and communities, he fell in love with Iowa. In 1982, he began an association with the Theatre Department at Drake University as a visiting artist, officially joining the faculty full-time in 1990. He remained for nearly 23 years, teaching, directing, and occasionally performing in Drake productions before retiring in 2012. He also shared his talents with the community by directing Shakespeare plays, performing character roles in ballets, and adjudicating student performances for the Iowa High School Speech Association's annual competitions.

Clive was a voracious reader. He had a passion for classical music, art, and poetry. His guilty pleasures were coffee, kids' movies, and anything chocolate. He had a wonderful gift for storytelling, but he never wrote a memoir of his remarkable life. He took great pride in the accomplishments of his students, whether they followed in his footsteps into theatre or found success elsewhere. They are his true legacy.

Following the death of his beloved life-partner, Clive's health began to decline. He entered long-term hospice care in December of 2017. He was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil and Constance, his brother, Jeremy, and his partner Daniel Kucera. He is survived by his adopted son, Evan Kucera, Evan's wife, Reagan, and their son, Connor. Those who wish may donate in Clive's memory to the Drake University Theatre Department or Hospice of Central Iowa. A celebration of his life will be held later this fall; date and location to be determined.