Charles Clayton Clendening

Charles C. Clendening, Jr. March 16, 1924 - February 10, 2008 Charles Clayton Clendening, Jr., of Richardson, formerly of Waco, passed away on Sunday, February 10, 2008, with his wife of 58 years, Jean, at his side. Services will be held at 10:00 am, Saturday, February 16th, at the First United Methodist Church of Waco with Rev. Stephen Ramsdell officiating. Burial will follow at Bruceville-Moore Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be 6:00 8:00 P.M. on Friday, February 15th, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey funeral home in Waco, Texas. Charles was born March 16, 1924, to Clayton and Isla Clendening in Bruceville, Texas. He loved to joke that the house where he was born stood right in the middle of what is now I-35 South. He graduated from Bruceville High School in 1941 at the age of 17. His parents signed a waiver that allowed him to join the US Navy. He served honorably until 1945. After his discharge, he attended Baylor University and then transferred to the University of Oklahoma in Norman, where he met the love of his life, Jean Plank, of Fairview, Oklahoma. They met on a blind date at the Poppy Dance and it was love at first sight. They married August 5, 1949, in Fairview, Oklahoma. Charles graduated from OU with a degree in Geophysical Engineering. He spent the 1950s and 1960s working as a 'doodlebugger' for several oil exploration companies throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Along the way, he became the proud father of four daughters. He began his 20 year career for Mobil Oil Co. in 1967, relocating his family to Hurst, TX. His Mobil jobs took him on many adventures to Egypt, London, Germany, Scotland and Norway. He lived in Stavanger, Norway, from 1976-82. After relocating to Denver, Colorado, in 1982, he stayed there until his retirement in 1987. After retiring, he and Jean moved to Waco, where Charles had many friends and relatives. Last August, he and Jean moved to The Plaza at Richardson to be closer to their eldest daughters and their families. He is survived by his wife; his sister Rochelle Cook of Tomball; his brother Kay Clendening of Lorena; his four daughters, Tamara Bonnet and husband David, Stephanie Smith and husband Billy, Carol Frazier and husband Bill and Denise Bortolussi and husband Shawn; his ten grandchildren, Jonathan, Erin, Meghan, Rachel, Ryan, Brian, Logan, Reid, Isabella and Nina; and his one great-grandson Braidon. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our "Memorial Guestbook" at www.wilkirsonhatchbailey.com. WILKIRSON-HATCH-BAILEY