CLAYTON, MARLENE ANN

Marlene Ann (Rittler) Clayton died peacefully on October 6, 2022, at age 91 after a brief illness. Marlene resided in Avalon, NJ for 57 years.Marlene Ann Clayton was born on October 17, 1930, in Bristol, PA to the late William August Rittler and Madeline Christine Schlotter. In 1935, at the height of the Depression, Marlene walked with her family of 9 from Bristol to Philadelphia; the 5-year-old charged with caring for her younger sister Barbara on the walk. She lived with her parents, and six siblings, William, Norma, Alvin, Barbara, Russell, and Joan in Philadelphia, PA until her move to Avalon in 1965. Young Marlene walked for miles through the city with friends, frequenting the library, and Hunting Park. She graduated from Germantown High School in 1948. After high school she was employed as a telephone operator for Rohm and Haas, where she became an excellent listener.She was married on June 7, 1952, to Harry Marshall Clayton, at St. Simeon Lutheran Church at 8th and Luzerne Streets in Philadelphia, PA, where they met in the youth group. They honeymooned in Niagara Falls (what a 1952 cliché). They were married for 67 years until Harry’s passing in May of 2020.While Harry was away, serving in Korea, then working and volunteering, Marlene held down the home front, managing her growing family. Her oldest was born in 1954, while Harry was serving overseas. While the bulk of her child rearing occurred from 1954 to 1986, she remained engaged with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, long after her youngest left home.While living in Philadelphia and on day trips after, Marlene enjoyed her large family and spent many Sundays, especially with her young boys, enjoying picnics and hikes at Wissahickon Valley Park. Marlene was also a frequent visitor of Hunting and Fairmount Parks, Philadelphia Art Museum, Franklin Institute, and Philadelphia Zoo. She instilled a love of nature and the outdoors while hiking and biking with her children across New Jersey. She was especially fond of the beach and marveled at the dunes coated in Monarchs or snow. Marlene, an excellent swimmer, taught swimming to countless young people in Avalon, both in the bay and at local pools. She appreciated gin in a martini or with tonic, a good book, and an afternoon cup of tea. Marlene carpooled and watched countless hours of her children’s and grandchildren’s many sports and activities including football, basketball, baseball, tennis, swim, track, soccer, and softball games, meets, and matches and science fairs, recitals, graduations, baptisms, concerts, and confirmations.In addition to mothering, Marlene read voraciously, played tennis well into her 80s, was an original member of the Avalon Garden Club, member of the Avalon Seniors, Avalon Seniors Bowling League, and Woman’s Civic Club, volunteered with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), was the bookkeeper for Clayton Heating and Cooling, and worked as a data miner for Dodge Analytics. In her later years she developed a love of traveling and was especially taken with the natural wonders and people of Alaska. Throughout her life she loved music, singing at St. Simeon Lutheran, Philadelphia, PA; St. John Lutheran, Ocean City, NJ; Grace Lutheran, Somers Point, NJ; and with the Cape Shore Chorale.She will be missed by many and is survived by her siblings Barbara Wassynger, Russell Rittler, and Joan Rittler, her best friend of 80+ years Hazel Rectanus, son Harry Marshall Clayton, Jr., daughter-in-law Margaret (Kelly), predeceased by her granddaughter Megan, grandmother to Alicia and Brian, and great-grandmother to Olivia of Northampton, PA; son Andrew Charles Clayton, former daughter-in-law Giselia (Claudino) of Sau Paolo Brazil, grandmother to Christopher and Julia and great-grandmother to Lara and Isabella; son Jeffrey Rittler Clayton, daughter-in-law- Adrienne (Coviello), grandmother to Vivienne (Matthew), Annalise, and Glenn of Montville, NJ; daughter Marlene Mildred Clayton, son-in-law Perry Santacecilia, grandmother to Matthew, Gabriella, William, and Sophia of Wilmington, DE; daughter Michelle Madeline Clayton, son-in-law Scott Taylor, grandmother to Daniel and Andrew of Medford, NJ; and her honorary 4th son, Sean Keating of Dennisville.Memorial donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made to Cape Shore Chorale, PO Box 74, Marmora, NJ 08223; or The Wetlands Institute at 1075 Stone Harbor Blvd., Stone Harbor, NJ 08247. Interment will be private at the Gerald M. Thornton Cape May County Veterans’ Cemetery; and a memorial service will be held for Marlene and Harry on Sunday, October 23, three o’clock, at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 9212 Third Avenue, Stone Harbor, New Jersey 08247. Condolences at www.radzieta.com