Charles Clayton

WILSON - Charles M. Clayton, Sr, 80, died Tuesday, August 25, 2009. Funeral, Thursday, 10 AM, Maplewood Cemetery, Section 1. Known to all with his smile of true friendship, "Bubba" seemed to have never met a stranger. He loved the part of his life that gave him so many opportunities to promote Wilson and North Carolina. The nickname "Bubba" was given to him by a brother in childhood years in their native Lee County home. He located to Wilson in 1944, graduated Charles L. Coon High School, studied at UNC-CH and served in the Army during the Korean Conflict. Interested in Wilson, he served as Executive Director of the Industrial Council for 17 years. During his tenure, Firestone, Walter Kidde, Kerr Glass, Emco Wheaton and Merck were companies that were attracted to Wilson in addition to numerous other businesses that employed a lesser number. Bubba later became a regional manager of the N.C. Department of Economic and Community Development and is a past president of the N. C. Industrial Association. He was involved in attracting MCI to our state. Important to him was his time in his church, First United Methodist, where he served in numerous roles. His local civic participation included his involvement in the Heart Drive, United Way, Red Cross, Kiwanis, Wilson Community College, in which he played an active role. Surviving is his wife, Catherine "Catty" Anderson Clayton; sons, C.M. "Keve" Clayton, Jr. and Jesse A. Clayton and wife, Judi, and her daughter, Alex Thurston; grandsons, Reid Clayton and Mac Clayton. The family is at home, 1001 Salem St, NW. Memorials are suggested to First United Methodist Church, PO Box 1423, Wilson NC 27894.