Clayton Joe Gotcher, 77, died on Jan. 11, 2024 in Round Rock, after a brief illness.
Clayton was born in Lampasas on Jan. 29, 1946 to Joe Bailey and Gilberta Jolly. He grew up in Rumley and spent much of his youth playing and hunting around the Lampasas River. His grandmother Lettie Storm-Jolly operated “Jolly’s Store” in Rumley for many years.
He graduated from Lam-pasas High School in 1964 and attended a few semesters in college before being drafted in the Army in 1967. He served in the Army for two years during the Vietnam War but was stationed in Germany because he could type. He was honorably discharged in 1969.
After his stint in the Army, he entered the banking industry and worked in and around the Houston area. He later worked in the mortgage finance area of banking and later became vice president of National Standard bank and eventually received a degree in banking.
After retiring from banking and finance, Clayton worked in the semiconductor field in Austin, and later worked and retired from the United States Postal Service.
Clayton was a weekend golfer and played many courses in and around Houston and Austin.
He was also a car enthusiast. It was a rare occasion when he didn’t know about conducting repairs or the fine details about various makes and models from the 1920s to today’s computerized vehicles.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Ace Donald.
He is survived by sons Clayton “Joey” Gotcher from Kempner, Carl Gotcher from Mart, and Bryan Songy from New Orleans. Grandchildren include Roan Songy of New Orleans, Kinley Gotcher of Georgetown and Clayton Joe Gotcher III of New Caney. Other grandchildren include Emily and Sarah Gotcher, Kimber Skinner and her son Grayson, all from Mart.
Heritage Funeral Home in Lampasas had charge of arrangements.
