Neal Wayne Clay

Neal Wayne Clay was born on April 7, 1949 in Glenwood, lowa, delivered by a midwife, to Betty Lou Marie (Beam) and Wayne Gilbert Clay. He was diagnosed with heart failure by VA Cardiology Clinic in Omaha, Nebraska and was under Hospice care when he passed away on February 1, 2026 at the home of a good friend, Mandy McConahay, in Thurman, lowa.

Neal attended elementary school at Glenwood Kindergarten through 1 grades. The family moved to Council Bluffs where he attended Thomas Edison Elementary School, then transferred to Holy Family School and attended High School at Lewis Central.

He proudly served in the United States Marines after receiving his GED Certificate with them and was sent immediately to Vietnam with his boots touching the ground on his 18th birthday.

In the military he served as a surveyor, man maker, and counter mortar counter battery radar operator set up along the DZZ for 2 tours. After leaving Vietnam he served for General Douglas Arthur as a Pata III Assistant Tech. He then transferred as a Marine Security Guard to the Embassy in Taran/Iran. He received a letter from President Richard Nixon for a promotion from Corporal to Sergeant E5 and served 6 years in the Marine Corp.

Following his service Neal's work consisted of running a bar, a motorcycle shop and working for the power company in line clearance covering all Southwest lowa. He enjoyed working and was good at repairing small engines. He was mechanically and electronically inclined in putting parts together and making them work from cars, mower, etc.

In his spare time, he learned to snow ski and ice skate in Taran/Iran. He like to play cribbage and horse shoes with his good friends and has a horseshoe pit in his yard.

Neal will be remembered for his kind heart and helping friends any way he could and also his quiet humor.

Neal is preceded in death by his parents, brother Donnie and significant other Rene Lyden

A celebration of life will be held at Neal's Horseshoe Pits (Bartlett, Iowa) on Saturday February 21, 2026 at 2pm.