Charles Frederick “Fred” Clayton III, 67, born January 8, 1952 in Terre Haute, IN, died September 17, 2019 in the comfort of his home in Santa Barbara, CA.
Fred Clayton graduated from UCSB with a degree in Psychology. At the time, his family duties took him in the direction of a farm and avocado ranch development in Carpinteria, CA, where he worked, lived, loved and played polo for many years. He subsequently became a real estate agent, and years later began a new career as an arborist and business owner of Vista Tree, then Clayton Tree Service from which he retired in 2018 at the age of 66.
Fred was an avid, passionate and committed sportsman who gave his 100% to everything he did. A man of strong family values and conviction, he thought us the meaning of the word commitment. A former tennis pro and consummate triathlete, Fred loved playing polo the most and would often relay fond memories of his heyday at La Cumbre Country Club and at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club.
Fred enjoyed so much in life, and when his family moved to Santa Barbara over 50 years ago, from an early age he loved going back to and spending summers at his grandparents’ farm back in IL,. He also enjoyed cooking, watching Westerns and WWII period movies, gatherings with small groups of friends, and was never a fan of pomp and ceremony. He also loved going fishing with his grandparents and fishing in remote Canada lakes with his father Charles Frederick Clayton Jr., who preceded him in death on September 11, 2016.
Fred is survived by his most beloved mother Ginger Erickson (nee Ina Blanche Lynn), by his third wife Martha-Korina Clayton, his two loving children Charles Frederick Clayton IV, and Kelly Morgan Clayton, his siblings Ann (Tom) Pilackas, Lebanon, IL, Tom (Krista) Clayton, Alton, IL, Dennis (Mary) Gathard, Seattle, WA., Tracy Pierson Kuehn, IL, Bob Robbins, and countless nieces and nephews from the various branches of his family tree.
“He worked hard, played hard, loved plenty, and left early”
There will be no funeral; instead, a ‘Celebration of Life’ will be held privately at a later date. In lieu of flowers please make donations to https://www.thehorseprojectsantabarbara.com/
Special thanks go to Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Services, S.B., CA.
“We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, learn, grow, love… and then we return home.”
