Frederick G. Clay Jr.

Clay, Frederick Guion Of Sharon, passed away peacefully at the Linden Ponds retirement community in Hingham on Tuesday, 3 February 2015 at the age of 86.

Beloved husband of Catherine Jones Clay; loving father of Rebecca Fairfax Clay of Santa Fe, NM, Richard Neville Clay of Jacksonville, FL, and Amy Guion Clay of Boulder, CO; loving grandfather of Jennifer Adams-Massmann, Richard, Michael, James and Amber Clay, and Gibson Thoreau DeJode; and his four great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Evan and Doris Clay, of Greenwood, South Carolina, plus his nieces, Susan (Rob) Krowiak and Sandra (Scott) Sunderland and great-nieces and great-nephews.

Fred was born in New York City on 8 January 1929 and attended high school in Bernardsville, NJ. In 1950, he graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in mechanical engineering then served as a U.S. Army First Lieutenant in ordnance during the Korean War. After studying at Yale Divinity School, Fred briefly worked as an Episcopal priest in Pennsylvania before returning to a career in mechanical engineering at the Foxboro Company and Ionics, Inc. in Watertown, from which he retired. While at Ionics, his areas of specialization included desalinization plants in the Middle East, Arizona and California as well as ultra-pure water for computer chips. Among his many talents and interests, Fred sang as a tenor with the Neponset Choral Society and the Actors’ Collaborative. He especially enjoyed lively roles in Fiddler on the Roof, The Most Happy Fella and My Fair Lady, and in musicals by Gilbert & Sullivan. Fred also spent many years serving on the Sharon Planning Board, the Housing Authority and the Standing Building Committee – his particular focus was on town water management. He and Cathy traveled extensively around the United States and in Europe.

A private memorial service for family and friends is being planned.

In Fred’s memory, donations may be made to a charity of your choice .