Matthew Honer Clay, Jr.
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Matthew Honer Clay, Jr. (Clayee), the always reliable "doer" within his immediate and extended
families, was born on April 23, 1959, in Beaumont, Texas, as the third child and first son of the late
Matthew Honer Clay and Larutha Odom Clay. Matthew, Jr. found the Lord at an early age and was
baptized at Starlight Missionary Baptist Church.
From youngest childhood, Clayee possessed an exuberance for life - finding joy in a good (or corny)
joke, the hidden beat within a song, or a well-executed play on the football field. Clayee quickly
developed into an outstanding all-around athlete, playing football, basketball and running track for
Odom Junior High School, and serving as a right fielder on the Dodgers Little League baseball team in
Beaumont.
Matthew's athletic prowess continued into high school, where he lettered in varsity track and football at
Hebert High School, including playing running back during his senior year on the Hebert Panthers State
High School Football Championship team in 1977. That season, he received All District, Golden Triangle
Super Gold and Super 22 Team honors as well.
Matt's gridiron success in high school led to a full, football scholarship at Lamar University, also in
Beaumont, where he lettered as a Running Back and earned a degree in Instrumentation and Electronics
in 1983.
Upon graduation, Clayee was employed as an Instrument Technician at Conoco Oil/Targa Resources in
Lake Charles, Louisiana, and worked at that organization for more than thirty-five years.
Matthew Clay, Jr. departed this life on Saturday, August 17, 2019 and is survived by his sisters, Mathia
Lanell Clay of Richardson, TX and Lareatha Honette Clay of Dallas, TX; his brother, Tracey Kenry Clay and
sister-in-law Raynetta Jackson Clay of Bowie, MD; nephews Mathis Lamar Clay (Richardson, TX), Jackson
Kenry Clay (Bowie, MD), Randall Odom Clay (Los Angeles, CA) and Everett Raymond Clay (Bowie, MD),
his Uncle S.T. Odom (Berkeley, CA), Uncle Elzie Odom and Aunt Ruby Odom (Arlington, TX), Aunt Juanita
Odom (Missouri City, TX), Godchildren, Kristin Sanders (Houston, TX) and Daniel Williams, Jr. (Beaumont,
TX), and a host of cousins and other extended family and friends.
A celebration of Clayee's life will be held at 11:00 a.m. (Visitation at 10:00 a.m.) on Saturday, August 24,
2019 at Starlight Missionary Baptist Church; 1090 Buford St. in Beaumont. In lieu of flowers, the family
asks family and friends to consider donating to the Shankleville Historical Society, Inc. at 3150 Dorothy
St.; Beaumont 77705 or Paypal.me/Shankleville.