Obituary of Clayton A. Ambrose

Clayton Anthony Ambrose died peacefully on July 15, 2016 surrounded by his family after a brief illness. He was born to Clayton G and Josephine Ambrose in New York City in 1938. The family moved to Elmira in 1946, just in time for the 1946 flood! Clay was predeceased by his mother and father, wife Joy, and beloved Aunt Esther Brown of Ohio. He is survived by his daughter Jennifer (Shanti) of Oregon, daughter Jessica Lawrence (Ben) and grand-daughters Madeline, Jacqueline, and Amelia of State College, PA, as well as his brother Art (wife Mavin and daughter Chelsea) of Elmira, first wife Marian Grushetsky of Big Flats, step-daughter Caroline Pitterle (Brian) and granddaughter Cate of Cary, N.C., stepson Jeffrey Capwell (Cindy) and granddaughter Jessica and grandson Chris of Charlotte, N.C. He was also survived by special friends, Matt and Anne Brand (children Zachary and Olivia), Pat Houghton, Myra and Jerry Stemerman, and his many friends at the Harbor Club in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Clay graduated from Elmira Free Academy in 1956, Bucknell University in 1960 and served in the U.S. NAVY. After his honorable discharge he took a position as sales manager for Radio Station WXYJ in Jamestown, NY and then joined an industrial chemical company in 1964. In 1968 a real estate opportunity evolved with his mother's real estate company, J. Ambrose Real Estate, and so he moved back to Elmira. In 1970 Clay and his mother Josephine were joined by his brother Art, where the 3 worked as a real estate team until Josephine passed in 1998. The brothers have successfully continued their real-estate endeavors and careers ever since, which involved the owning and managing of real estate companies and land development companies. Clay was an active member in the local Board of Realtors, holding every office including President and many positions at the state level. He was Realtor of the Year of the local board and Realtor Emeritus for 40 years of continuous real estate service. Clay's community service work and interests were wide and varied. He was an avid golfer, excellent hobbyist magician, lover of animals, and collector of many things including coins, sports memorabilia, and comic books. He was a member and former Chairman of the Elmira College President's Council. He also served with many organizations including the County Wide Assessment Task Force, Dewittsburg Housing Board of Directors, Chemung County Foundation, Elmira Housing Authority, Park Church, SPCA, Salvation Army, Elmira Jaycees, Arnot Ogden Medical Center, Elmira Country Club, Red Cross, and United Way. Clay was a passionate sportsman and he achieved an extreme "bucket list" which included: 22 World Series Games; 3 Daytona 500 races; several NASCAR races; 6 Triple Crown Races; 5 Super Bowls; numerous Buffalo Bills games including 4 AFL Championship Games; 15 Masters Tournaments (serving as a volunteer for 14 years); 2 PGA Tournaments; 2 U.S. Opens; 1 British Open; 3 Heavy Weight Championship Fights; the Miami Heat 2013 Championship Game; a NFL Pro Bowl game; a National College Football Championship; an All Star Game; the last game held at the old Yankee Stadium; the last games for Derek Jeter and Marino Rivera at Yankee Stadium; and the game where Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig's record for playing in the most consecutive games in a row. Clay loved life and his humor was boundless. He loved hearing a good joke and loved telling them too. His family was very close to his heart. One of his favorite quotes was from the great sportswriter Grantland Rice who said "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game." Clay said, "I hope my friends thought I played a good one!" Funeral services to be held at Park Church (208 Main Street, Elmira, NY) at 3:00pm on Wednesday, July 20th followed by a Celebration of Life reception from 5:00 to 7:00pm held at the Elmira Country Club (1538 West Church Street, Elmira, NY). Please join Clay's family in honoring a life well lived. In lieu of flowers please send donations to CareFirst, World Wildlife Fund, or the Clemens Center.