Jan Clayton Buhl

Jan Clayton Buhl passed away peacefully on Dec. 4, 2024, at the age of 82. He was a beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, Brother, and Friend.

Life and Legacy

Born on Dec. 22, 1941 in Dothan, AL, Jan Clayton lived a life full of love, laughter, and dedication to family. He was a man of integrity, fairness, hard work, but most importantly, unconditional love, intelligence, generosity, and a ceaseless dry wit. He grew up partly in Alabama, Cleveland, OH, and Nebraska, where much of his parents’ family lived.

He had dreams of becoming a fighter pilot, but eventually found his way into the medical field that he loved to work in for the remainder of his life. Though he always had his eyes on the skies, whether it was flying in a glider plane, watching Top Gun and its’ following sequel way too many times, or catching an air show.

Jan had a successful career as a Radiologist, in which he was well respected for his work ethic and ability to see in the various xrays/CT’s/MRI’s he read through every day, what others could not. After raduating from Nebraska School of Medicine as Salutatorian, he first started working in an Air Force base ER after his residency at Stanford Medical School, but quickly found he was better suited and skilled to saving lives through reading and diagnosing the patients’ films. In later years, he was able to do radiology work from home part time, so he became also actively involved in his community - leading Bible study groups with his late wife Ivy, and volunteering his time to various other local causes.

Jan Clayton also spent much of his free time gardening, taking care of and feeding various local critters (he always had a soft heart for any and all living creature), taking his daughter on nature walks, working on old classic cars, reading yet another mystery book, and never ceasing to learn something new. His love for education and reading about new technologies and advancements in various areas of science never stopped.

Family and Friends

Jan was blessed in his life to have loved, not just one woman, his first late wife, Bunny Harper Buhl, but later on in life, his second late love, Ivy Berman Buhl.

He met Bunny when they both attended Stanford, she an outgoing, focused go-getter in the Imaging Technician program, he a quiet, intelligent, funny student in Residency. While two very different people, their love for each other, God, spending time and traveling together, making each other laugh, and commonalities in medical work and technology, brought them together for 37 years. During which time they adopted a daughter, living, working, and parenting most of their married life in Sacramento, Ca, until they eventually, happily retired in Carmel, Ca. A few retirement years later, however, Bunny passed away in 2005.

Jan always missed his first life partner for the remainder of his years, but as God would have it, He brought Jan Clayton a later in life partner in the form of Ivy Berman, a God loving and sassy, outgoing woman he literally bumped into at church one day. They shared their love of God, helping others in the local community, high adventure in their world travels, and spending time with family and friends. They enjoyed special years together before her passing in 2018. He continued to live in Monterey and surround himself and share time with the loving families of Bunny, Ivy, and his daughter Angel.

Up to this time in his life, Jan had gone back to radiology work, from home, but he finally fully retired and lived the rest of his years happy and fulfilled to have been blessed with the loves of his life, loving family and friends around him, a successful career he enjoyed, world travels, and a life from God, well lived.

Jan is survived by his loving daughter, Angel; his son-in-law Essam; his step children, Victoria and Knight; and his grandchildren, Blake, Zach, Javon, Amanda, and Dante. He will also be deeply missed by his family members in the Harpers, local friends and former colleagues.

A Life Remembered

Jan Clayton Buhl will be remembered for his Godly love for people and critters, kindness, generosity, intelligence, and dry sense of humor. He was a man who always had a smile on his face and a kind and/or humorous word for everyone he met. He will be dearly missed by all who had the privilege and blessing to know him.

Funeral Arrangements

A private funeral/memorial service will be held on Dec. 30. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Bridge Restoration Ministry in Monterey, CA in his memory.