Clifton McCleskey

Clifton McCleskey

September 27, 2021

Long-time Albemarle County resident Clifton McCleskey died on Monday, September 27, 2021, after a brief illness. He is survived by Jo, his darling wife of seventy years, and also by sons, Turk and Pierce; daughter-in-law, Kathleen; and beloved dog, Sammy.

Clifton was born in west Texas. After high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served in World War Two and the Korean War. During the latter conflict, he distinguished himself while operating amphibious landing craft under strenuous and dangerous conditions in the reinforcement of the Pusan Perimeter and the invasion at Inchon. Clifton brought some of the last U.S. Marines out of Hungnam harbor in the dark of night, threading a small boat through heavy seas and somehow locating their vessel, the USS Henrico, amidst a fleet of moving warships. His Navy tattoos delighted three generations of nieces and nephews.

Clifton met Jo while home on leave and astonished everyone, including her, by announcing immediately upon introduction that they would get married. Jo was understandably dubious but eventually agreed. The two of them relished each other's company for the next seven decades.

Clifton earned a bachelor of arts degree with highest honors from the University of Texas at Austin, and a doctorate of philosophy from Harvard University. While teaching American government and politics as an assistant professor at the University of Houston, Clifton wrote The Government and Politics of Texas, a textbook used statewide through many editions. He returned to the University of Texas, where he was tenured and promoted to associate professor.

In 1973, Clifton came to the University of Virginia to direct the highly-regarded Institute of Government, now known as the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. He was simultaneously appointed to a full professorship in the Woodrow Wilson Department of Government and Foreign Affairs. The Institute of Government flourished under his command, producing a wide variety of enlightening publications and hosting many activities to benefit Virginia's state and local governments. Clifton stepped down as Institute director in 1983, assuming an active role in the Government Department, to include teaching a heavily enrolled introductory course in American politics. In 1987, he became chair of the renamed Politics Department, leading this large department for five years. He retired as professor emeritus in May 1998 after a fruitful quarter-century career at the University of Virginia.

In retirement, Clifton and Jo delighted in traveling the globe by air, land, and sea. At home between trips, he enjoyed raising cattle and devising unique solutions to farm life's infinite challenges.

Clifton's parents, George and Bessie and his siblings, Frances, Eula, Roberta, Preston, and Lillie preceded him in death. In life, Clifton had no precedents.