Clayton McIntyre Obituary (1933 - 2021)

Clayton Burnell McIntyre, “Bud”, joined God’s Army of Angels on Tuesday, August 31st, 2021. He passed away peacefully at home with his wife by his side in Stansbury Park, UT. It is nearly impossible to capture the true essence of this man’s life in one short obituary. In his 88 years on this Earth, Bud lived life to the fullest, and captured the hearts and minds of anyone who knew him. He is survived by his loving wife Frances of nearly 67 years, and their 3 children. Gale McIntyre (Christa), Pam McCarty (Tom) and Lori Scott (Tom). The family includes 6 Grandchildren (Jennifer, Clay, Chelsea, Michael, Joshua and Lacey) and 9 Great-Grandchildren (with one more on the way). Bud was born during the height of the great depression on March 20th, 1933, on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He is preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Florence (Nieuwenhuis) McIntyre and his brother Bruce. He came from a large family of 8 children, 2 boys and 6 girls. Until this year, all 8 of them had remained living. Bud was often proud to tell you of his first few years as a young boy on the reservation living in a sod house that he helped build. The family later moved to Kansas where he eventually met the love of his life, Frances Uhrich. Before marrying his girl, Bud proudly joined the Army on February 19, 1952, at the age of 18 years old. His training began at Fort Knox, KY, followed by advanced tank training in Fort Hood, TX. He was originally sent to cook/baker school with the intent to be sent to Germany. As history has taught us, he was needed elsewhere. When he arrived in Korea, cooks were not needed…they needed infantry men. He had no training in this area and was immediately sent to the front lines, meanwhile, staying in touch with Frances and having a strong faith in God. (He carried a Bible in his uniform pocket which the family still has today.) Thanks be to God that he survived, and when the war ended, he became a Military Police Officer working to help exchange prisoners of war. On February 1, 1954, he said goodbye to Korea without looking back. After 2 long weeks, he arrived back in the USA on February 14th, 1954. Before being discharged on February 19th, he had been granted a combat infantry badge, a UN Medal and a Korean Defense Medal. Upon his exit, he was a Corporal as promotions had been frozen during the war. He was not ashamed to admit that he suffered from PTSD and eventually got the help he needed and would encourage others to do the same. It didn’t take long for Bud and Frances to start their lives together. On November 14, 1954, they joined hands and before God and their families, vowed to dedicate their lives to one another. He joined the Lutheran Church of which Frances was a lifelong member. Together they created not only a wonderful legacy, but countless memories. During their marriage they lived in 3 different states, KS, CO, and UT. They traveled to all 50 states and experienced so many wonderful things. As you can imagine, they have made many friends along the way, of whom they have cherished memories. Camping, fishing, sightseeing, attending church, playing cards, playing the guitar and singing, watching the golfers go by from his patio, telling a slightly inappropriate joke, and loving his family….these were the things that Bud enjoyed. Bud was a hard worker, filled with integrity and strong morals. He didn’t shy away from rolling up his sleeves, and doing whatever task was asked of him. In addition to his time in the military, Bud was a farmer, a Kansas Hwy Patrolman, bus driver and truck driver. He knew every highway in every state. If you were planning a road trip, he wasn’t afraid to offer his opinion on which direction you should go. In his final years, Bud loved to keep his eye on his family through the “Life360” app. He knew exactly where we all were at any minute of the day, and if we were driving, how fast we were going. Now that he is in Heaven, Bud has the Ultimate Life360 view. So, if you hear a little voice inside your head telling you to slow down, it’s probably Bud giving you a little warning. For he is now a guardian angel to us all. He was scheduled to go on the military Utah Honor Flight to Washington DC on September 17, 2021. Instead, he was given the Ultimate Honor Flight. He will be forever missed. A Celebration of Life has been postponed to a later date. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to one of the following… (1) A memorial bench to be placed in Stansbury Park with Bud’s name (contact Pam for more info), (2) Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org), (3) your local VFW (www.vfw.org), one of which Bud proudly managed for a time in Kansas. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Clayton "Bud" Burnell McIntyre please visit our Sympathy Store.