BOMBER MEMORIAL
ROBERT D. CLATWORTHY SR. ~ Class of 1951
June 28, 1930 - April 22, 2004
Colonial Funeral Home YAKIMA - Robert D. Clatworthy Sr., 74, surrounded by his family, passed
from this life to be in glory with his Heavenly Father, Thursday, April 22, 2004.
Bob was born June 28, 1929 in Marmet, West Virginia to James V. and Virginia Jacobs
Clatworthy. The family moved to Washington in 1944 when his father was transferred to Hanford.
Bob attended school in Richland and joined the Army in 1948. While stationed in Texas, he met
his future wife, Ruth Kuhn. They were married in April 1955 and during their 37 years of
marriage they lived in various states raising two children, Debbie and Robert, Jr.
Bob served two tours of duty during the Korean Conflict and two tours of duty in Vietnam. He
retired in 1972 at the rank of Sergeant First Class.
After his retirement from the military, they lived in Mars, PA. After Ruth's death in 1992,
Bob returned to Washington State to visit his sister and brother. While in Washington, he reunited with his high school sweetheart, Lu Blakeney Humphrey ('49) of Toppenish. They were companions until
his death.
Bob was a sports fanatic of all kinds. Car racing was his favorite sport. He was a baseball
player in his youth and was a certified baseball umpire for many years. Bob followed all the
high school sporting events of the Yakima and Benton/Franklin counties. In his later years, he
took up golf and was a member of the Mt. Adams Country Club. Bob was a prankster and joker and
could keep his friends and family entertained with his jokes and ditties at all times. One of
his special pleasures was taking his Aunt Bea (Smith) of Kennewick on their Wednesday lunch
date.
He is survived by his daughter Debbie (Rich) Rice of Harmony, PA; son Bobby Jr. (Lisa) of
Butler, PA; four grandchildren, Kevin Rice, Josh and Jake Muir and Jordan Clatworthy; brother
James (Faye) Clatworthy of Belle, WV; sister Ann (Carl) Hogshead of Fort Valley VA; companion
Lu Humphrey of Toppenish and her family, Jeanne (Gary) Taylor of Yakima; Janice (Mike)
Holdreith of Manson; Jerry (Debbie) Humphrey of Yakima; Mike (April) Taylor of Helena, MT and
Matt Taylor of Yakima.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents and wife, Ruth. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m
until 5:00 p.m on Monday, April 26 at Colonial Funeral Home. Graveside services will held at
11:00 am on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 at Sunset Gardens in Richland, WA.
Funeral arrangements are in the care of Colonial Funeral Home in Toppenish.