Charlotte Elizabeth Clayton passed away on January 2, 2019, three days before her 94th birthday. She was born to Merrill and Laura Goodnow on January 5, 1925 in Seattle, WA. Eugene Duane Clayton passed away on October 21, 2019. He was born to Ernest and Ruth Clayton on March 20, 1923 in Cedar Creek, NE. He moved west with his parents when three years old to Snohomish WA where he grew up. Eugene enjoyed working on cars and playing tennis, but most of his focus was on academics. He served as the ASB President before graduating from Snohomish High School. He also served as a mine sweeper in the Navy during WWII. Charlotte had a passion for music and took piano lessons from her dad who only played cello. As she progressed they were able to find a piano teacher. Charlotte and Eugene met each other while attending Whitman College and fell in love. They both graduated with B.A. Degrees in the class of 1947. They married in August that summer and moved to Eugene, OR to attend the University of Oregon and graduate with a Ph.D. in Physics. They moved to Richland, WA in 1951 and remained there all their life. Eugene worked for General Electric, then Battelle until retirement. He accumulated 39 years of experience in the nuclear physics field at Hanford including Research in experimental reactor physics, criticality research and analysis, and nuclear criticality safety. He was the manager of Battelle’s Plutonium Critical Mass Laboratory for 22 years where several thousand critical experiments were performed without incident or mishap and the majority of the world’s data on nuclear criticality of plutonium solutions was obtained. He helped establish and reviewed criticality safety limits for major companies with nuclear projects. His occupation took him to different countries around the world.

Charlotte became a mother of three children and spent time raising them. As they got older she had more time for the piano and learned to play the organ. Her college degree in Biology from Whitman enabled her to find employment as receptionist for several eye Ophthalmology Clinics. She saved up and purchased a Pipe Organ. She gave some organ lessons at home. She was a church organist for 50 years until retiring when she was 80 years old. She also performed organ music for lots of weddings and also funerals. She was a blessing to many people.

Charlotte and Eugene are preceded in death by their son Charles and one of his sons Craig.

They are survived by their daughter Frances, their son Paul, their grandson Clint, their grandson Anthony, and their great granddaughter Alice.

We will miss them, but it was their time to depart. They are in the hands of the Lord.

The family would like to invite you for the Celebration of Charlotte and Eugene’s lives on Thursday, October 31, 2019 at 1:00 pm at Events at Sunset, 915 ByPass Hwy in Richland with a reception to follow.