Funeral services for Paul DeLoy Clanton Jr., 78, of Athens are scheduled for 2 p.m., Saturday, June 1, 2013 at the Hannigan Smith Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Eugene Hunt officiating. Burial will follow at Malakoff Cemetery in Malakoff.
Mr. Clanton went to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 in Tyler.
Paul DeLoy Clanton Jr. was born July 30, 1934 in Henderson County, the son of Paul DeLoy Clanton Sr. and Mamie Ethel Stogner Clanton. He was devout Christian man who loved teaching Bible study. Paul devoted his entire career to law enforcement, retiring as TLE Captain for the Texas Department of Public Safety and then later serving as Chief Deputy of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved farming, fishing and hunting. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and brother. He was a family man and will be missed by all he knew and loved.
Paul was preceded in death by his loving wife Noalene Clanton; his parents; one sister, Peggy Deane Moore; and one brother, David Porter Clanton.
He is survived by one daughter, Paula and husband Robert E. Richards of Athens; one son, Shane Clanton of San Angelo, Texas; two sisters, Billie Jeane Sweet of Dallas, Nelda Carolyn Hunt of Athens; seven grandchildren, Nathan DeLoy Vinson, Marie Bailey, Shonna Clanton, Sheriece Clanton, Sheldon Clanton, Shelby Clanton, Brewster Clanton; and numerous great grandchildren.
Visitation will be Friday, May 31, 2013 from 6-8 p.m. at the Hannigan Smith Funeral Home in Athens.
Serving as Pallbearers will be Brewster Clanton, Wayne Pickle, Morgan Clanton, Bobby Richards, Nathan Vinson and Eugene Hunt.
Such sweet memories of this man from a little girl’s perspective….I have told it many times thru the years and only met him once….BUT….what an impact!!!
I was about 12 years old …riding my horse along FM59 between Beck’s chapel road and Shady Oaks to go meet a friend to ride with that day…Trooper Clanton had someone stopped and had done his business with them as I came along….in his uniform, he was a bit intimidating, as he walked up to me to ask if I had a license to be riding that horse because I didn’t have any tail lights…kinda scared the little girl…then he smiled and made light of it and was on his way….not many notice a little kid to say anything….he remained in my mind all these years…RIP Paul Clanton….you made a little girl special that day….has been over 45 years…