Obituary of Mary Clayville

Mary Clayville, 76, passed away on February 7th, 2024 at her home in Chicago, IL, where she had moved a couple of years ago to be closer to her daughter, Kristel, and her daughter-in-law, Mandy. She was born Mary Francis Wellman on February 3rd, 1948 in London, KY to Fayette and Flora (Proffitt) Wellman. She graduated from Hazel Green High School and went to Eastern Kentucky University on a Future Homemakers of America scholarship. She later changed her major to accounting, which better fit her penchant for thinking about how our social systems affect individual lives. She worked for a few years in banking before spending the majority of her career working for Kentucky state government. She met her future husband, Jim Clayville, on the job in 1976 when he was assigned to her as a trainee. They married that year and welcomed their daughter, Kristel, in 1977. The family relocated from Morehead to Frankfort in 1979. Mary retired early to help her husband through the organ transplant process and recovery as well as to care for her mother. After their deaths, she found other outlets for her care: volunteering with CASA and various groups at Bridgeport Christian Church, and especially advocating for the full inclusion of LGBTQ people in the church. While finding meaning in social justice work, Mary also enjoyed the pleasures of life. To her, these were gourmet coffee, a variety of red wines, travelling, going to plays, taking art classes, reading widely, and spoiling her deeply loved pet dogs. And of course, spending time with friends, especially when they could share a meal and a laugh together. She was very good at laughing at herself, and could entice you to do the same. Mary decided to see the best in people, and that allowed her to lead with kindness and generosity. She had a sharp, dry wit, was skilled at delivering a punch line, and was fast with a smile. She lived out the idea that you could love people without fully understanding them, and that love could fix a lot of problems. She embodied neighbor love, and she saw neighbors everywhere. She is preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Georgia Huff and Sue Lane, her brother Daniel Wellman, and her husband, Jim Clayville. She is survived by her sister Victoria Ogden, her daughter Kristel, and many nieces and nephews. Family and friends are invited to visitation at Rogers Funeral Home on Friday, February 16th from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, with funeral services at Bridgeport Christian Church on Saturday, February 17th at 10:00 am. Interment will follow in the Frankfort Cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested to L.I.F.E. House for Animals.