Maretta (LaMay) Clayton was born July 17, 1950 in Des Moines, IA to Robert and Marjorie (Gaines) LaMay. Maretta’s mother asked her sister Rose to give her a middle name. Rose named her Joyce, which probably should have been her first name, since JOY was predominantly her attitude and personality. Even throughout her adulthood and illnesses, she maintained JOY in the Lord. Maretta attended Nash Elementary School, Washington Irving Junior High, and graduated from Des Moines Tech High School. After several classes at Grandview College, she obtained a position at United Federal Bank, where she worked for several years. She then began working at Veteran’s Hospital in Des Moines, IA as a Pharmacy Technician, from which she retired after 25-years of service. Maretta met Phillip Clayton Jr., through her brother Robert. They exchanged wedding vows on October 30, 1971, and he has been her devoted husband for the last 50-years. From this union they welcomed their miracle baby, their daughter Maria. Growing up as the baby of her family, Maretta had 3 older brothers that adored her, and her bond with her sister is eternal. She was known as the “sweetheart” of the family. She had a smile that would light up a room, a laugh that was contagious, and a sweet disposition that would always draw people to her. She would love to play school with her nieces and nephews when she was a teen, buying them notebooks, pens, etc., and all the girls would always want to be around their aunt Rita because she was so fun. She also enjoyed entertaining. Maretta and Phillip’s house was the neighborhood “go-to” where they would BBQ, fry fish, and Maretta would challenge people to a game of Dominos (and most likely beat you at the game!) Maretta’s greatest pride was her family. She loved them with everything she had. She and her husband Phillip would still hold hands when going places together, and when he had to leave home without her, she would pray with him before he left for his safe return. The highlight of her life was for the ones that called her Nonnie. Being able to spend time with Juwan, Jaylen, and Jakira when they visited or had special events together was what she lived for. She also loved to take many photographs and was the family historian. Left to cherish her memory are her husband Phillip Clayton Jr.; daughter Maria Clayton Hughes of Des Moines, IA; three grandchildren, Juwan (Tinisha) Hughes of Des Moines IA, Jaylen Hughes of Des Moines, IA, and Jakira Hughes of Des Moines, IA; two brothers, Stanford (Gloria) LaMay of Des Moines, IA, Maurice (Bobbie) LaMay of Des Moines, IA; her sister Rose Harper of Ankeny IA; and her beloved chihuahua Havok, who never left her side. She was preceded in death by her father, Robert Lee LaMay, her mother Marjorie Christina LaMay, and her brother Robert LaMay Jr. Maretta would tell us all one by one that she loved us, and we always said, “We love you too, Rita.” Now we say rest in peace, our lovely wife, mother, grandmother, auntie, sister and friend. ARRANGEMENTS BY ILES ~ GRANDVIEW PARK CHAPEL