Joseph Anderson Clayton, Sr.

Joseph Anderson Clayton, Sr. (89) of Collierville, Tennessee, went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on December 24, 2021. His love for God was followed closely by his love for family. He and his wife of 69 years, Nell, have three children: Anita Hurdle (Jack), Andy Clayton (Donna) and Alan Clayton (Betsy). He was known as “Sugar” to his 10 grandchildren whom he cherished and was adored by his 10 great-grandchildren. He loved his hometown, Collierville, and was a 1950 graduate of Collierville High School. He earned a Bachelor’s degree (1954) and a Master’s degree (1961) from Memphis State University where he played football for the Tigers.

Mr. Clayton served in key positions in both the public and private schools of the Memphis area. His first teaching and coaching assignment at his high school alma mater (Collierville) was interrupted by his military service. In 1959, he resumed his career as a teacher and football coach at Oakhaven High School, where he later served as guidance counselor, assistant principal and principal. He then served as principal at Overton High School until 1974 when he left the public school system to initiate a high school program for the Briarcrest Christian School system. He served as principal until 1989 when he became president until his retirement in 1996. He was elected to the Shelby County School Board in 1998 and served until 2013.

Mr. Clayton was a leader of many professional organizations during his long tenure in education, including president of the Memphis Public Schools Principals Association and West Tennessee Principals Association, and vice president of the Memphis Association of Independent Schools. He also received a number of significant educational honors including The University of Memphis Hall of Fame and Billy Murphy Outstanding Achievement Award (1994), University of Memphis Educator of the Year Award (1997), All-American Coach Award (2004), PTA Tennessee School Board Member of the Year (2005), and TSSAA Hall of Fame (2010).

His educational legacy lives on through the Joseph A. Clayton Award for Academic Excellence at Briarcrest Christian School, Clayton Field, where the BCS Saints play football, the Joe Clayton Library at Collierville Middle School, as well as the thousands of students he inspired.

Mr. Clayton’s service to the community and to his church further recognized his lifelong commitment to the importance of heritage in his personal life. He was a member of Collierville First Baptist Church where he served as a Sunday School teacher and deacon for 65 years. He was named as Collierville Person of the Year in 2005. He served as fundraising chairman for the Collierville Education Foundation and was a member of both the Collierville Town Beautiful and Heritage Commissions. He organized the Collierville Little League Baseball program (1957), Collierville Saturday Basketball program (1958) and Collierville Little League Football team that became part of the Shelby Youth Sports program (1965). In 1969, he founded the Collierville Saddle Club Association.

His life will forever shape his family, friends, students, church, and town. He will be dearly missed.

The family requests that memorials be sent to Briarcrest Christian School, Collierville Schools, or Collierville First Baptist Church. The funeral will be live streamed at 2 p.m. at cfbcfamily.org/livestream