After a long and courageous fight with a weakening heart, COPD and diabetes, Clay went Home peacefully on Friday, December 9, 2022, with family at his side. Family and friends whether kin or extended were everything to Clay and enriched his life immeasurably.

Clay was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 23, 1941, to Fran and Goodie Sollers. He graduated from Baltimore City College High School in February 1960 and proudly served his country in the U.S. Air Force. He joined to see the world but was stationed 100 miles from home. After his service he heeded the advice of an AF buddy to “come West, Young Man’’ to San Francisco in 1964 and settled in Fortuna in 1965 with his first wife, Jeri. He resided there until his death.

He served the community as a member of the Fortuna Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) for eight years, including two years as president. It was there that he met lifelong friend Richard Peterson. He was elected to the Fortuna City Council in 1972 and received the highest percentage of votes cast in the election, his first and only attempt at public office.

He spent most of his life as a salesman, first in insurance, and then in sales and servicing accounts for full line food services with Gemini Foods and its successor Port Stockton Foods, retiring in 2001. Old customers always became part of that extended family and meant so much to him.

He is survived by his loving wife and best friend, Louise, of 45 years and his two sons, Glenn D. Sollers of Phoenix, Arizona, and Keith G. Sollers of Fortuna, California. Also surviving are his brother and sister-in-law, Duvall and Barbara Sollers of Parkton, Maryland; niece Julie and her husband Bill Morgan and niece Lisa Sollers all of Maryland as well as numerous cousins including John Sollers of Oregon.

He was preceded in death by his father, Lyde G. Sollers; mother, Nevada Frances Sollers; and younger sister, Edith F. Sollers; and his godparents, Ernest A. “Doc” Knorr, Jr. and his wife Bernadine “Penny”.

After his first marriage Clay continued to live and work in Fortuna. He and the boys had very recently moved to Stafford when serendipity took over and Clay met Louise while filling in for his co-worker’s lunch break at State Compensation Insurance. Six weeks later they were engaged and six weeks after that they were married beginning their 45 years of romance, family adventures, and travel.

Within a few months the young family moved back into Fortuna to be nearer the boys’ after school activities. A lot of time was spent at Little League and basketball games when the boys were young. Clay loved to travel and the family shared camping trips and hiking in Glacier NP with Louise’s parents. They met Clay’s brother and his family in Yellowstone and most recently in Monterey just before Covid. Many trips were made through the years to visit his family in Maryland, to attend meetings of The Ice Screamers in Pennsylvania, and to enjoy the nearby Amish country. Trips were made to Davis and Arizona and New York to visit the boys once they graduated from high school and left home. He was very proud of his sons and the wonderful men they’ve become.

He and Louise visited New Zealand nearly a dozen times as well as Australia to visit lifelong friends met on their first NZ trip in 1986. They considered New Zealand their second home. The list of friends grew with each trip. They made an extended visit to China as well. After Clay retired his brother and wife persuaded he and Louise to join them on a river cruise in France to visit niece Lisa who was teaching in Paris. The nearly dozen cruises that followed almost all with Viking expanded to include river and ocean and they ventured on their own before and after each cruise to spend extra time in favorites places like Bruges, Lisbon, Copenhagen, Rome, Budapest and Bastogne as well as more stays in Normandy and numerous other places. Clay was able to expand and bring to life his interest in WWII history.

Clay loved to go antiquing and collected pewter ice cream molds and collectibles. Bookstores were a favorite haunt wherever he found them focusing especially on WWII history. He was an avid daily reader and sports fan. He enjoyed his beloved Baltimore Orioles, the GS Warriors, the SF Giants, and the SF 49ers. Clay continued his love of gardening especially with his berries and rhododendrons. He delighted in growing blueberries for the neighborhood children who were allowed to pick their own when supervised by a parent. He always saved them for the kids so that meant that he and Louise had to buy some for themselves.

When air travel became too arduous Clay and Louise continued their getaways closers to home with jaunts to Ashland and the Oregon Coast and Fort Bragg and Anderson. Clay was very adept at spotting quilt and yarn shops for Louise. He always joined her inside and more new friends were made while she shopped. Health complications finally overtook the travel and the Covid risk brought travel to an end. With Clay too vulnerable to exposure his world tragically shrunk as it did for so many. Outside visits were limited to the fully vaccinated.

Clay and his family are grateful to his friend and physician of 50 years, Dr. Don Baird, and his wonderful colleagues at Ferndale Community Health Center. Our thanks, too, to the ER doctors and staff at Redwood Memorial Hospital. Heartfelt thanks to extended family of Jerry Olsen (and Bonnie), Richard and Cheryl Peterson, Arlene and Ken Britt, and Bob and Jackie Clarke (New Zealand) for their love and friendship and keeping spirits up. Many thanks, too, for all our wonderful friends and especially all those on Corinna Court for always being there for him and our family.

As Clay requested ashes will be scattered privately by family. Donations may be made to the American Heart Association, St. Jude or a favorite charity.