Clifford Clay Widmayer

C. Clay Widmayer passed away at home in Walla Walla on June 26, 2024.

Clay was born in Walla Walla on June 16, 1960, to Clifford and Betty Widmayer. He was blessed with loving and supportive parents and an exceptional grandmother who instilled in him good values and a strong work ethic. He met the love of his life, Jo Dee Beck in 1996 in Livermore, California and they were married June 17, 2000, in Walla Walla. They retired and settled in Walla Walla in 2020.

Clay attended Sharpstein School, Pioneer Junior High School and Wa-Hi where he made many friends, a great deal of whom he remained close to for the rest of his life.

After graduating, Clay moved to the Seattle area but eventually returned to Walla Walla where he graduated with honors from Whitman College in 1988 with a degree in physics. After Whitman, he went to the University of Oregon and earned a Master of Science and Ph.D., both degrees also in physics. During his time at Whitman, Clay made new friends, particularly his co-workers on the Whitman maintenance staff who greatly influenced him with their perfectionism and leadership.

In 1995, Clay accepted a position at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California. He worked in the Inertial Confinement Fusion program for over 25 years alongside many gifted scientists, engineers and computer programmers. Clay was very fortunate to contribute to the design and construction of the National Ignition Facility which today is still the world's largest and highest energy laser. He was author or co-author on several dozen scientific papers in the fields of laser physics, nonlinear optics and fusion energy research. He was honored and proud to be credited as co-author on a paper describing an historic 2022 experiment that, for the first time, released more fusion energy than was absorbed by the fuel to initiate it.

Early in his career at Livermore, Clay met his soul mate, Jo Dee. Jo Dee transformed Clay's life. With her inspiration, Clay developed a great love of nature and the outdoors and they enjoyed hiking, camping and staying on their houseboat in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in Northern California. Clay was particularly proud of a hike he made in 2020 from the rim of the Grand Canyon to the bottom and back at age 60. He also loved the game of golf which he played with varying degrees of success for over 50 years. Jo Dee and Clay also cherished the three beloved dogs they rescued and raised together.

Clay is survived by his wife Jo Dee, and sister Ann Winn, all of Walla Walla; four brothers-in-law, Bryan Winn, Jack Beck, Joel Beck and Jerry Beck, sisters-in-law, Mary Beth Beck, Gloriann Beck and Lois Beck; six nephews, five nieces (and their four spouses), and five grandnephews/nieces. He was preceded in death by his father Clifford, mother Betty, and grandmother Harriet Aiken.

Clay loves all his friends and family and wishes to thank them for the love and companionship he received during a good and happy life. Mostly, he wants you to love one another. Love is wise and hatred is foolish.

-- Clay wrote this himself, to make Jo Dee's life easier, and to make sure she got it right! :)

A graveside service will be held at the Mountain View Cemetery (2nd Street) on Thursday, July 11 at 10:00am, and an open house social gathering at their home afterward, everyone is welcome. To reach Jo Dee: jodeewidmayer@gmail.com.