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Cubia Clayton escaped this mortal realm on February 28, 2024, leaving behind two completed remote controlled airplanes, five airplanes in progress, 7 acoustic guitars, 15 tobacco pipes and approximately 73 fountain pens, none of which have ink.
Cubie left behind three daughters and one son-in-law: Molly and Gordon Schweers, Becky Clayton and Laura Clayton, and five grandchildren: Rebeca and Daniel Carrillo, Angela and Jack Henry Schweers, and Finn Clayton.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Eleanor Edgington, his parents, Cubia V. and Jennie (Cyrus) Clayton and his sister, Vera Vivian (VV) Bujac, as well as his 2010 Lincoln Towne Car and the hearing in his right ear.
Cubia graduated from Tularosa High School in 1950 as he was afraid of having to take another year of History with Jennie Clayton Simpers, his mother. He volunteered his services to the United States Navy which put him on a boat to Guam. He made such a good sailor that the Navy never let him on a boat again and he remained on Guam as a radio operator until the Navy released him and put him on a boat back to San Francisco.
Cubia graduated from New Mexico State University with a degree in Biology. While commuting to NMSU he met and fell in love with Eleanor Edgington. Ellie was the youngest daughter of Edward and Agnes Edgington of Alamogordo and Ed was the only sworn enemy of Cubie's uncle, Verner Clayton of Tularosa. Of course their future was almost predestined and Cubie and Ellie were married in 1959, with both Verner and Ed in attendance, and appearing on opposite sides of each wedding photo.
After graduation Cubie was hired by the Albuquerque Environmental Health Department to check the cleanliness of commercial kitchens in Albuquerque, a fact which made his mother laugh out loud, as she had never seen him in a kitchen. While at this job he discovered Carlos Taquitos in the South Valley, and a big night out for the young family involved buying a mess of Taquitos smothered in avocado chile salsa and eating them outside at the provided concrete picnic table next to the dry arroyo, in classic New Mexican style.
The couple settled down in Albuquerque and would go on to have three children there. They then raised their family in Santa Fe until Ellie's early death in 1978. Cubie worked with the State Environmental Improvement Department for most of his career and finished his working life with the Federal Bureau of Mines in Denver Colorado.
Cubie retired early at the age of 57 and became the man of many hobbies throughout his 34-year retirement. He lived to be 91 and passed away peacefully in his sleep, just like he always wanted, at La Posada Hospice in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The family will have a small graveside service to inter his cremains at the family plot in Tularosa at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 6.
