Sherman Paul Clay III

Sherman Paul Clay III passed away on November 11, 2024 at the age of 77 years old. Paul was a resident in Onalaska Wisconsin and prior to this was a long time resident of Watersmeet, Michigan. Many people called him by his middle name, ‘Paul’ but he also had the nicknames of Bud and Buddy. 

Paul was born in Muncie Indiana to Sherman Paul Clay Jr. and Virginia Jean (Baldwin) Clay. Paul was a devoted son and a loving husband and father. He was married to his wife of 53 years Yuriko (Kaneko) Clay and father to Edward Harrison Clay of Houston, MN. and William Andrew Clay of Mundelein, IL. 

Paul was preceded in death by one brother who died at infancy, David Allen Clay, and parents Sherman Paul Clay Jr. and Virginia Jean Clay, and his nephew Tyler Mongerson. Paul is survived by his wife Yuriko, sons Edward and Rachel (Scott) Clay and William and Rebecca (Elsea) Clay, sister Susan (Clay) Wunderlich and brother Steve and Candice (Bond) Clay. Paul is also survived by 11 grandchildren, Moriah (Aaron) Benicek, Whitney (Joseph) Clay, Edward Calvin Clay, Megan Clay, Kirby Clay, Elijah Clay, Nolan Clay, James Clay, Steven Clay, Sean Clay, and Chloe Clay and one great granddaughter, Jorah Rose Clay, as well as nieces Tina (Mongerson) Smith, and Lindsey Mongerson and great neices and great nephews, Taylor (Smith) Bruno, Carter Smith, Henry Mongerson and Amelia Mongerson. 

Paul was a career navy man who achieved the highest enlisted rank of Master Chief relatively early in his navy career. He met the love of his life, Yuriko, when he was stationed in Japan and they married in Tokyo on November 5th, 1971. Both of Paul’s sons were born in Yokosuka Naval base in Japan. His naval career had him stationed mainly on the west coast of the United States, in California, Washington, Nevada and ending his naval career in the Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois. After his career in the Navy, Paul started a successful career in computer networking and information technology until his retirement. Paul also taught classes on computer networking at the college of lake county in Illinois. He spent most of his retirement years in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Michigan in the small town of Watersmeet, Michigan.

Paul had many hobbies and interests. He loved animals and volunteered serving at the Humane Society in Vilas County, Wisconsin. His love for dogs started when he was a young boy. He and the family pet boxer, Ciggy, were inseperable. Over the years, Paul and Yuriko cared for many boxers as their family pet. Paul had many close friends and he loved to spend time with them over cups of coffee and working on various projects together. Paul was also an avid ham radio operator with the call sign N7EKY. He volunteered his time teaching High School students about ham radio and morse code in the ham radio club in Eagle River, Wisconsin. 

A funeral service will be held at Bethany Evangelical Free Church at 305 Ellsworth Street in Houston, Minnesota on Saturday, December 21 at 11 am. There will be a visitation before the funeral starting at 10 am on December 21st at Bethany and a dinner reception will be provided following the funeral service and all are welcome to stay for the dinner.