Letha Sue Schiffman Clay

Letha Sue Clay passed peacefully from this life surrounded by loving family.

She was born in her home in Logan, Utah, to Melvin and Gladys Schiffman, the fourth of five children, and the only girl. She was a New Year baby and the brightest spot in the hard Cache Valley winter. Her family experienced the leanness of the age, and as a child they moved with some frequency. Smithfield, Utah, and Mesa, Arizona were well-loved homes. Letha Sue was proud to share that she was baptized in the LDS Mesa temple.

Even as a child, Letha showed the grit and fearless determination that were key traits she carried all her life. In the first grade, wanting to show she could keep up with her rough-and-tumble brothers, she bet a penny that she would jump from the swings. She won her penny, but broke both her arms and wore casts to her shoulders. Her stubborn side would probably still insist it was worth it to prove her bravery.

At Davis High School, where she enjoyed being a cheerleader, Letha became friendly with Garth Clay. They dated before his mission to England for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She accepted his fraternity pin with the promise to marry when he returned. She wrote Garth a letter every single day of his mission. Literally.

Letha Sue and Garth married in the Salt Lake Temple soon after he returned. They hoped to start a family, but due to a bad illness, doctors had warned Letha that she may never have children. She considered it one of the great miracles of her life that God blessed her with nine kids. Garth and Letha lived in University Village while Garth completed his education at the University of Utah, then moved to Bountiful to raise their family.

It’s an impossible task to describe the scope of service Letha Sue provided her family. She was a source of constant love and support—endless PTA responsibilities, Cub Scouts, making meals, years of attending sporting and dance events. And every child knew, no matter at what hour they came home, that Mom would be awake and waiting. She couldn’t sleep until everyone was safely in bed.

Somehow she managed, through all this chaos, to maintain a love of high culture and learning. Often the best way for her kids to find her in the house was to follow the dissonant piano concerto played at high volume on her portable radio. She enjoyed musicals, classical music, the opera, and ballet. She strived to learn the piano until nearly the end of her life.

Learning was always a passion. It was a sadness for Letha that she hadn’t earned a bachelor’s degree. After she and Garth served as senior missionaries on the campus of BYU Hawaii, they stayed on for Letha to study. She majored in English Literature and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA.

Letha Sue’s greatest accomplishment—and her greatest gift to her family—was her deep testimony of the mission of Jesus Christ and her commitment to His gospel. It was a regular occurrence to happen upon her kneeling in prayer. Her prayers were spontaneous, happened at any time of the day, in any room—sometimes taking advantage of a pile of laundry to cushion her knees. She couldn’t speak of her Heavenly Father or Savior and keep a dry eye. Letha Sue’s mortal mission was a beautiful expression of love and devotion to God and family. Those on the other side are most certainly joying in her company. We miss her on this side, but look forward with perfect hope to see her again.

Letha Sue Clay was preceded in death by her eternal companion, Garth Clay. She is survived by her children Jordan (Clare) Clay, Alyson (Bradley) Jacox, Adrianne (Gordon) Sorensen, Jennifer Clay, Rebecca (Mark) Olson, Millicent Clay, Joseph (Natalie) Clay, Nathan (Tamara) Clay, AnnMarie Clay; and by 34 grandchildren and 42 great-grandchildren.

Joseph Garth Clay September 22, 1937 - December 12, 2024 

Garth Clay passed peacefully to the next life surrounded by family and his eternal companion. At the conclusion of his long life, the greatest tribute can be paid him: He loved deeply, is deeply loved, and endured well to the end. 

Garth was born in Idaho Falls to Josie Maurice and Evan Clay, the oldest of four children. They moved often with his dad's military career before settling in Bountiful, Utah. While a “Rally Man" at Davis High, he met Letha Sue Schiffman. Before leaving to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he gave Letha his fraternity pin with a promise to marry. 

He served in the British Mission. His journey there took nearly three weeks and included an Atlantic crossing on the Queen Mary. He loved his experience and told mission stories to the end of his days.

After returning home, he and Letha Sue were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on August 11, 1960. Garth often expressed gratitude for Letha, and told everyone of his great “luck” in marrying her. Each day when he got home from work, he made sure to first give her a quick hug, kiss, and pat on the bottom before doing anything else. 

Garth was a Utah Man, Sir—a Pi Kappa Alpha who earned a Sociology degree and MBA from the University of Utah. He and Letha lived in University Village while he studied. They relocated to Bountiful, where their nine children were raised. 

Garth worked in information systems throughout his career. When hired at IBM, the president of the company asked to meet the man who had scored higher on the entrance exam than anyone ever had. He also worked for Management Systems Corporation, spent many years at Beneficial Life Insurance Corporation, and served as an employee of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Garth had a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel and enjoyed church service in many capacities, especially as Bishop of the Beautiful 23rd Ward. Upon retiring, he and Letha served as senior missionaries in Hawaii and as temple workers in the Laie Temple. 

Garth’s interests knew few bounds. He loved learning and was an avid reader. He had a brilliant mind—he was Google before Google existed. His children could always count on him for help with school papers and projects. They did, however, have to weigh their desire for an answer against the likelihood of being stuck for a half-hour speech on the subject. His desire to share knowledge didn’t stop with his children. A granddaughter once asked, “What is Papa Johns?” Grandpa responded, “Well, it’s built around a franchise model, and each franchisee has to…” She was three. 

He was a skilled craftsman who focused his work on the needs of his family. He could as readily do all the work on a house renovation as he could sew dresses or make beautiful pinewood derby cars. He loved tools, and his workshop, secured with a key, was a child’s wonderland. 

Garth was a dedicated and supportive family man, a constant fixture at kids’ sporting and academic events, at drill team and choral performances. His children’s lives were enriched with fishing and camping trips, countless trips to Grandma and Grandpa Schiffman’s house in southern Utah, and a memorable trip to Disneyland that included two hours of driving trying to find a place to eat before settling on the Burger King across the street from the motel. As he grew old, he would sit quietly in the deafening chaos of family gatherings, a small smile on his face, contentedly observing the people he cared about. 

Garth sacrificed and loved. His life was good and rich, and he well deserves his rest. 

We love you, Sweetheart, Dad, Grandpa, Great-Grandpa! 

Garth is survived by his wife, Letha Sue; his sister, Julie; his nine children, Jordan (Clare) Clay, Alyson (Brad) Jacox, Adrianne (Gordon) Sorensen, Jennifer (Randy) Healey, Rebecca (Mark) Olson, Millicent Clay, Joseph (Natalie) Clay, Nathan (Tamara) Clay, AnnMarie Clay; 34 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Leon and Janis.