Clayton B. Hinman

Clay was born to Lowell and Hazel Hinman in La Junta, Colorado in 1951 where he was raised and graduated from La Junta High School in 1969. He and his sister Cynthia, who were also very good friends, enjoyed many conversations and experiences through the years growing up and as adults facing family situations and adventures together. Clay bought his first motorcycle when he was 14 years old. He rode all over the Arkansas Valley and learned a lot of trick riding with and without passengers during his teen years and competed locally in motocross. Clay worked at the local theater as a projectionist and repaired and assembled motorcycles at Bradford's Honda while in High School and Jr. College in La Junta. Clay attended Colorado State University where he graduated in August 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in Social Work. In 1976 Clay rekindled a high school romance with Barb. Barb brought Ruth and Joe, her two children from her previous marriage, into her relationship with Clay. Clay and Barb were married in August 1982. In July 1988 they welcomed their daughter Kelly into the family.

Barbara, Ruth, Joe and Kelly enjoyed some or all of the many interests Clay had such as camping, writing, singing, music, history, science fiction, traveling, comedy, motorcycles, car repair, traveling, riding old trains and storytelling to name a few. Clay was very creative and provided for the family working in electronics, social work, mechanical and sales jobs. Clay had an incredible sense of humor and was warm and empathetic to his family and friends. Clay and Barb, and sometimes other members of his family, made trips to Disney World, Grand Canyon, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos, Las Cruces, and Roswell, New Mexico, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Steamboat Springs, Wine Country, Redwood National Forest, San Francisco and San Diego, California. In 2015, Clay finally got to take Barb to Oahu where they celebrated their thirty-third anniversary. Clay made two adventure trips on his motorcycle. In 2017 he rode to Kentucky to find Lowell's grave site and Ohio to see an old friend. Barb’s mother, Fran used to kid with Clay that he needed a side car so she could ride with him. After she died in 2018, Clay put her urn on the bike with him and took her to Las Cruces, New Mexico for her memorial. After Fran's memorial, Clay set off for San Diego and up the California coast into Oregon. The last ten years or so, Clay developed his story telling art into a written form and wrote a play, a book, short stories and many blog and Facebook entries.

Clay was a responsible member of both Christ the King Episcopal Church in Arvada and Epiphany Episcopal Church in Denver and was active in his community. Clay spent a great deal of time with Barb's mother Fran who moved in with them in 2014 and lived with them until shortly before she passed away in January 2018. They were really good friends and enjoyed joke telling, singing, bird watching and evening cocktail hours together. Clay took her to many doctor and beauty appointments. Clay was so happy walking Kelly down the aisle and dancing with her when she was married in June 2019. Clay will be missed and his legacy of stories, jokes, quick comebacks, comedic changes in song lyrics and warm memories will live on to remind us who he was and give us much to talk about in the future. Clay is survived by his wife Barbara, sister, Cynthia, his step-children Ruth (Jon) and Joe (Cassandra), his daughter Kelly (Jason), Joe's children Freya and Judah, Ruth's son Alexandrew, Cynthia's two daughters and many cousins and their children.

Due to the current health concerns, services to honor Clay will be held at a later date. Thank you for your understanding.

Memorial Donations may be made in Clay’s honor to your local food bank and or homeless shelter to help during this crisis. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

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