Clayton SEARLE

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SEARLE: Clayton (Clay) B. Searle of Minnedosa, Manitoba passed away peacefully June 4, 2016 at the age of 93. He was born on Nov. 5, 1922 in Rapid City, Manitoba. He moved to Brandon with his parents and siblings at the age of 6. Shortly after the outbreak of World War ll, Clay enlisted and served overseas for 4 years. Not long after returning to Brandon, he met and married Loreen (Lori) Baker on September 1, 1948. They had two children. They moved from Onanole to Minnedosa in 1951 where he ran a barbershop for 25 years, before becoming greenskeeper at the golf course during summer months and served as icemaker and caretaker of the rink in winter. Clay and Lori became members of the United Church of Canada in 1951 and he was a founding member of the AOTS Christian Men’s Club. He belonged to the Army Reserve for many years and became an active member of the Legion. Clay and Lori purchased a cabin in the old campground at Clear Lake in the early 1980s and spent many wonderful summers up there. He returned to Europe on a veteran’s tour for six weeks in 2008. He was driven to live life to the fullest and kept very active throughout his entire life. For relaxation, he enjoyed oil painting, cribbage, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and watching sports on television. He was ardent fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Being with family and friends was also very important to him. Bowling and golf were passions for him and he was deeply moved when presented with a lifetime membership to the Minnedosa Golf Course. He also thoroughly enjoyed kayaking and was doing so up to last year. At one time, winter activities included downhill and cross-country skiing. Clay was predeceased by his parents: Stanley and Georgina (Pearl) Searle and sisters Dorothy and Florence as well as by wife Lori. Sister Marion passed away shortly after him. He leaves to mourn his brother, Stanley (Bud) Searle, and his son, Rick (Dianne), of Victoria, BC and daughter, Judy Menzies (Blake), of Birtle, Manitoba. A Celebration of Clay’s Life was held on July 7, 2016 at Minnedosa United Church with interment on July 8, 2016 in Neepawa. Donations may be made to the Minnedosa United Church or Minnedosa Palliative Care. Minnedosa Funeral Service in care of arrangements.

As published in Brandon Sun on Jul 09, 2016