Robert Clay Obituary

Robert Charles Clay was born February 26, 1948 in Artesia, NM to Eulilia and Jim Clay. Rob, also known as Robbie, spent most of his childhood in Aztec and Farmington, NM. Robbie was a boy scout and a member of DeMolay. He also enjoyed playing football. Rob graduated from Farmington High School in 1966. Later, he attended Texas Tech.

As a young adult, he worked as a chef, played in a Country-Western band, and owned a cabinet shop. His favorite job was working at Continental Airlines as he loved to travel. During this time, he lived in CA and married Berna Jo Ballas. After their marriage ended, Rob moved to the family ranch in Mancos, CO and ran a local bar known as the Mancos Social Club.

His adventures continued when he traveled to Kauai in 1992. He rebuilt homes destroyed by Hurricane Iniki. Rob enjoyed island life. He convinced the love of his life, Freda Yeomans, to join him and they lived there for close to 30 years. Rob became a building contractor and constructed beautiful homes on the island. Rob and Freda married in 2004. They never had children but they adored and loved their nieces and nephews.

Rob continued to live on Kauai after Freda died in 2016. He suffered a stroke in 2022 and returned to Colorado. He died peacefully on June 17, 2025 at the Valley Inn in Mancos, CO. Rob is preceded in death by his parents, Eulilia and Jim Clay, his beloved wife, Freda Yeomans, and nephew, Jarrod Shepard. Rob is survived by his sister, Sheila Shepard (Sid), brother, Rick Clay (Melissa), and many in-laws, nieces and nephews. A celebration of life will be held in Mancos on August 2, 2025.