In memoriam - Our Brother @Clayton has passed on

Thanks Cody for the excellent message!
Clayton, I never met you, but always enjoyed your writings. Rest in peace.

Pancreatic cancer is brutal! My dad died of pancreatic cancer. When diagnosed they gave him three months. Three months later he passed on. A rough ending to a good man that I never heard say a negative word about anyone nor raised his voice to anyone.

Cancer respects no man.
 
Sad news. Thanks for letting us know of this. I traded a few PMs with Clayton a good while back. He was very kind man who enjoyed talking guns and hunting. He PMed me once offering to discuss reloading with me to help me with my concerns about doing it on my own. I had a nice visit with him on the phone about reloading and just guns and hunting in general. He said he was sick but didn’t let on how serious it was.
Rest In Peace sir!
 
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I did not know Clayton, but I do know that he was indeed a fortunate man to have a friend post such a wonderful tribute. Thank you Cody for sharing a bit of that friendship with all of us.
 
Well said Cody.

Thoughts and prayers to his family.
 
Sorry to hear of his passing. The world (and AH) seems less bright today. I enjoyed his posts. RIP Clayton
 
Seriously contemplating it going to the BVC as my light rifle!

Why not? That would be fitting. Clayton's actions gives all of us older guys something to think about regarding the dispersion of our prized firearms.
 
So sorry. RIP.
 
I am very sorry to hear of his passing, prayers for his family.

I have a disease that causes me to visit a pancreatic clinic at a very large teaching hospital a couple times a year, it is truly heart breaking to see those dealing with this type of cancer. He was very lucky to have a friend willing to talk with him so often during his fight, I have no doubt it was a great benefit to him.
 
All,
It’s with a sad heart that I post this. Our fellow AH’er and my dear friend @Clayton has crossed over to be with our Lord and Savior to hunt the great bushveld in the sky.

I met this great man through AH, enlisting his gracious help in sorting through quite a few Pre 64 Winchester’s trying to acquire one in the Super 30. Not being an expert in Winchester rifles and having learned my hard self taught lesson on buying Gen 1 Colt SAA’s, Clayton led me through the ins and outs of what I was looking at, what to look for and when to run away from a deal. I may not have gotten to hunt with this rifle yet but the fun we had finding it places it in a special place in my memory.

Shortly after we acquired my 300 Clayton was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and decided he was up for the fight. I told him that I would help him with anything he needed. We talked or texted every day about guns and hunting, this daily ritual will be missed immensely. I had still not met Clayton in person, but about a week before he went in for a Wipple Procedure he called me and asked if I could drive to Louisiana to meet him. Without hesitation I said yes and asked what he needed help with. We met at the Cracker Barrel in Sulpher, LA for breakfast. When we finished breakfast we walked out to the parking lot and he pulled a Pre 64 ‘06 out of the back seat, complete with a 1-6 VX-6 and Brownells sling. I admired the rifle and complemented him on it. He then told me it was mine. I argued with him that I couldn’t accept such a gift and that I cherished his friendship because of him, not what he could gift me. In typical Coonass fashion he turned the table on me and told me I was taking the damn thing because he wasn’t going to deal with some asshole trying to pay him less than it’s worth. Lol. He said I hope you can use it someday. I told him that morning that I would kill a big bull with it in November.
View attachment 278773
I sent him this picture in November and he replied with “ you wouldn’t believe what this does for an old man’s heart”. He couldn’t believe I killed a big bull in Montana with his rifle that was bought new in the Bitteroot Valley, Montana in 1952.

Clayton had survived a very low percentage chance operation and lived almost two more years. I will always be grateful that I was blessed to have the time I did with this fine man. I had the privilege to bring my friend @tarbe to breakfast with Clayton not to long ago and we had a great time.

Clayton was a rimfire nut, loved shooting tiny groups with his 22’s. One day he sent me a link to an article about the CZ 452 Grand Finale, a limited run at the end of the 452’s model of 1000 guns. He was in love with the gun but wasn’t about to spend money on one. I promptly got on line and ordered one for him and called him to meet me for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel for breakfast that next Sunday. When we were done eating we walked out into the parking lot and I gave him the rifle. I will never forget the tears in his eyes as he looked the rifle over. He spent the next year tweaking the trigger and everything else he could on it, referring to it as “the white elephant” and explained the story of the white elephant to me.

Last Thursday Clayton’s friend Artie called me telling me that he was in ICU and the Dr was saying a couple days to a couple weeks. I got to the hospital in Lake Charles Saturday morning and he was sitting up in bed talking to Artie. We moved him across town to a hospice facility that afternoon and got him settled in. It was a blessing from God that I had the whole day to spend talking and joking with my friend! Sunday he texted me and said he was really tired, he slowly faded away until he passed this afternoon. Goodbye my friend, rest in the loving grace of God.
Life is really all about memories you make, Clayton Gilley certainly touched my life and will be sorely missed.
I found this post this afternoon and it kind of says a lot about how the man thought!
View attachment 278778
My apologies for such a lengthy story but I thought Clayton deserved it! Rest In Peace Brother!

Cody
Beautiful story.
 
I have a disease that causes me to visit a pancreatic clinic at a very large teaching hospital a couple times a year
YancyW, you will be in my heart and thoughts to beat this!
 
And now I'm crying at my desk. (I'm a girl so it's acceptable :p ) Beautiful tribute.


+1 except I am not a girl, oh well.
very touching story of true friendship!
will keep his family in my prayers.
 
Very sorry my man... Lifting y'all up!
 
Why not? That would be fitting. Clayton's actions gives all of us older guys something to think about regarding the dispersion of our prized firearms.
Hi Shootist,
My father in law owns an auction company and does firearms auctions a few times a year. Once he sent me over to an older gentleman’s home to pick up some guns that he wanted to send to auction. While I was inventorying the firearms Mr. Murphy started telling me stories about each of the guns. I ended up sitting with him for the better part of the day enjoying the knowledge he was sharing.(I wasn’t on the clock!). I finally asked him why he was getting rid of the guns instead of passing them down as I had noticed several family pictures on the wall of his home. He then told me of his eldest son’s early passing due to a brain tumor, his other son got tied up in the drug scene and he hadn’t even heard from him in years, and his daughter that used to hunt with him had married a rabid anti gun liberal out east and didn’t speak to him much anymore. It really made me feel bad for him and for the fact that those guns that had such special stories attached to them were going to be bought by someone who may appreciate them as a nice rifle would not have the privilege to hear the stories associated with them. I ended up putting three of them in my safe, with notes of their adventures so when it comes time for my accumulation to be dispersed maybe the story won’t die along with me.
 
Cody,

Thank you for the heart felt eulogy. We can count ourselves blessed if we have friend's like you just described.

You were blessed to have a friend like Clayton, just as Clayton was blessed to have a friend like you.
 
Cody, thoughts and prayers go out to you, as well as the family of Clayton. You are by definition what a “good friend” should be. Your eulogy makes me feel as if I knew him myself. A real tribute.
 
Man, what a thoughtful and moving eulogy. Words don't do much at a time like this but hopefully the memories and experiences can offer some comfort.
 

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