Frank Clayton Jr.

Frank Brittin Clayton, Jr. passed away peacefully on February 20, 2021, surrounded by his family.  “Pancho,” as his family and childhood friends called him, succumbed to a brief bout of pneumonia at the age of 86.  He is survived by his wife, Alicia McCrocklin Clayton; his two sons, Frank Brittin Clayton III and Wilson Stone Clayton; their wives Ruta Suduikis and Karen Barrieres Clayton; and granddaughters Julia, Laura, and Brooke Clayton and Melissa Dreher.  Frank was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Elizabeth Clayton Zinn, and grandson Christopher Dreher.

Frank was born in El Paso, Texas on May 17, 1934, the son of Vivian Stone Clayton and Frank Brittin Clayton.  He earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Psychology and an M.B.A.  Frank served in the U.S. Army during the cold war as a Specialist 3 Radar Crewman, earning the Good Conduct Medal.  He later had a highly successful career as a Human Relations Manager and Labor Contract Negotiator in the metals and paper industries.  He was a pioneer in the field of mutual gains negotiation, earning wide respect on both sides of the negotiating table for his honest yet firm approach.  Beyond his career successes, Frank had a broad range of personal skills.  He was a craftsman, mechanic, and inventor.  As a young man he built race cars; later in life he became an avid bicyclist and an enthusiastic skier.  He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.  Pancho possessed great intellect, curiosity, and commitment to work and family, but he will be most remembered for his kind humor and decency toward everyone he encountered.

A small family gathering will be held at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver.  In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Alzheimer’s Association.

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