Clay Dodge Mead

Clay Mead, 54, of Bar Nunn, Wyoming passed away on Thursday, January 25, 2024 at home. Clay researched and pursued every nuance of his illness, hoping to discover a loophole or forgotten treatment option to keep him going just a little longer. Unfortunately, there was no cure to be had, but he did everything he could to buy more time. Once he accepted that the end was near, he was able to take some comfort in the hope of being reunited with his grandparents and his eldest daughter, Ayla, who had passed before him.

While Clay had many people in his life who loved and cared for him, his childhood was spent mostly with his mother, Carol Mead, and brother, James Bryan with help from his maternal grandparents, Willard and Violet Mead (who have long since passed). The greatest treasures in his adult life were his children, his wife, and his pets. Other things that made him happy were Corvettes, walking through Home Depot, watching pimple popping videos, dreaming of starting a chihuahua farm, holding babies, giving fatherly advice to people who didn't ask for it but clearly needed it, eating breakfast from Sherri's Restaurant, doing random good deeds, freshly laundered sheets, his fascination with minions, cheering for the underdog, dreaming of trips to foreign lands and outdoor food markets, researching "computer stuff" that nobody else at home understood, and initiating home improvement projects. Nothing annoyed Clay more than mean people, bald jokes, reckless drivers, bad gravy, cheaters, snowstorms, Cisco hold music, politicians lacking solid logic, and restaurants with inconsistent green chili quality.

Learning technical information without a college education was not easy, but he persisted in teaching himself the skills to succeed as a sought-out expert in telecommunications, and worked on honing those skills almost every day. Clay treasured working with his brother and the relationships he made with clients and coworkers over his decades as a voice engineer at Mountain West. He was always happy to make himself available to help, even giving out his personal number and working after hours to make sure everyone was taken care of. Even from his hospital bed, he felt driven to keep solving problems for people because that's what he loved to do. We couldn't help but laugh as he mumbled in his sleep, and some of his last intelligible words were "grab my laptop" and "the server's down." Clay will be best remembered as a kind and gentle man who liked to make people smile and find strengths they didn't know they had while reflecting on their opportunities for growth. He made conscious effort to be kind to others, learn something new, and do the right thing with the daily intention of honoring the grandfather he grew up with.

The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the staff at Banner Wyoming Medical Center for their loving care and long talks with Clay during his extended stay. As he was prone to do, he made friends and gave advice to everyone he met from dietary, transport, dialysis, housekeeping, and of course, the direct care staff. So many people on his care team worked together to help honor his wishes to fight, and then to make it home in time to pass the way he wanted to go. In his last few days, the staff at Central Wyoming Hospice worked quickly and lovingly to help us care for him at home, where Sheri (wife), Aspen (daughter), Christopher (son), step-sons Josh and Jordon, Rico (family friend), and his beloved chihuahuas, Max and Xena, joined him as he opened his beautiful deep brown eyes one final time, took his last breath, and left the world in peace.

If you'd like to attend the funeral service for Clay, please contact a family member for details. If you have something purple to wear, feel free to do so in honor of his favorite color.

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