John Brooke Clayton

John Brooke Clayton, 1921 - 2004, passed away on Good Friday, April 9. He is survived by his wife, Jo-Ann; his daughter, Brooke Elizabeth (David) Hayden, his son, Thomas Mitchell Clayton; and grandchildren John and Jessie Rose. His mother and father preceded him in death; as did his brother, Frank Clayton, and his sister, Virginia House. John was born in Belleville, Illinois and raised in Chester, Illinois, where he graduated from high school. He then went to Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in art for two years, before entering the armed forces in 1942. After joining the famed 10th Mountain ski troop Division and training at Camp Hale in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, John participated in the Division's assault on mountain positions in Italy, earning the Purple Heart for injuries received there. Upon completing his Bachelor of Arts at Washington University, John began work as an illustrator for Leo Burnett Advertising in Chicago, later becoming an art director on numerous prominent television ad campaigns. After his retirement from Leo Burnett in 1979, John and his wife, Jo-Ann, moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he spent the next several years volunteering as a mentor at Lewis-Palmer High School and pursuing his interest in woodworking. John leaves his extended family, the George Catletts of Evanston, Illinois; his nephew, William Clayton of McHenry, Illinois, and his niece Cathy Vinning of Peachtree, Georgia, and his niece Lois Spendoria. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 17, 2004 at Monument Community Presbyterian Church, 238 3rd St., Monument, Colorado at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lewis Palmer High School and the Monument Presbyterian Church, both in Monument, Colorado. The family wishes to express special thanks to Pikes Peak Hospice, Susan, Rose and Dan for their loving kindness to John. Arrangements by Swan-Law Funeral Directors, Colorado Springs, 719-471-9900.