Obituary of Clayton Emerson Bennett

On Sunday, March 10, 2019, Clayton E. Bennett, loving Son, Brother, and Uncle, passed away at the age of 40. Clayton was born in Olympia, Washington. He was raised in Shelton and was proud to be sixth generation Mason County as the great-great-great-Grandson of pioneer Henry Winsor. During his school years he was a member of Boy Scout Troop 112 in Shelton and earned the highest rank of Eagle Scout. He was also a member of the Order of the Arrow Tillicum Lodge. Clayton was a member of NJROTC and served in various leadership roles including Armed Drill Team Commander winning several state competitions. Clayton graduated from Shelton High School in 1996. He was a volunteer firefighter and EMT and attended college before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps shortly after the 9/11 attacks. Clayton completed training as an Osprey Crew Chief and later also completed training as a Counter Intelligence Human Intelligence Specialist which included becoming fluent in Arabic. Clayton medically retired at the rank of Sergeant. Clayton had a passion for music, his community, and the outdoors. He owned and played several instruments and enjoyed many nights of Karaoke around the South Sound. Clayton believed in serving others and was known by many in the community for the time he spent at Habitat for Humanity, Community Lifeline, and helping friends and neighbors. He was a man of Christian faith and attended many churches in the area, sometimes more than one in a day! Some of his happiest times were spent enjoying the outdoors whether it be a day at the water or hiking the foothills of the Olympics with friends. Clayton is survived by his parents, Curtis Bennett and Joan (Berndt) Bennett, his sister, Melissa (Bennett) Wood, brother-in-law, Matt Wood, and nephews, Mark and Matthew Wood. A Memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at the Shelton Yacht Club 701 E Pine St, Shelton Washington at 1 o’clock p.m. Special donations in his memory can be made to the SHS NJROTC Booster Club and Kristmas Town Kiwanis Scout Troop 9112.