Bruce Jay Clayman

We are tremendously saddened to report that our father Bruce Jay Clayman passed on from this Earth, at his home, on July 4, 2017. He was born on May 26, 1940 at his grandparent's hotel, The Melbourne, in the Upstate New York Catskill Mountains, where he spent his formative summers while living in the Pelham Parkway neighborhood of the Bronx, New York. After serving in the US Army in El Paso, TX, he returned to Manhattan and shortly thereafter took control of his father's Plastics/Chemical Factory after his sudden passing. He owned and operated the first Integrated Coffee Shop in El Paso, and later, The World Cafe, one block off Houston St. in Greenwich Village, where many of the notable musicians of the Beat & Hippy Generation frequented. It was then that he began a decade's long involvement in International Business, Development and Trade, often in oil/gas, gold/associated minerals. He worked with the Governments of Spain, India, Columbia, Nigeria, Liberia, Kenya, Sharja - UAE, and many, many more. His accomplishments through these decades are too lengthy to list. It was through this involvement that he formed his lifetime friendships with the Tubman Family of Liberia, and their Patriarch, W.V.S. Tubman, the longest serving President in Liberia's History. Back in New York, he met Arlene Burch, a young model from Canada. They traveled and lived a life that could best be described as something from a storybook. After living at the hotel that they owned in the Bahamas, they married at the Beverley Hills Hotel, relocated to the Bay Area, and had two children, Ian Shad and Danielle Brooke Clayman. He there formed a very close bond with famed attorney Melvin Belli, and several ventures ensued for many years. While Bruce continued to travel, to a lesser extent, and remained a successful serial entrepreneur in business, he re-dedicated his life to his children. He saw them through high school, college and continued after as family business partners, peers, friends, advisers, and more, until his final days. Words alone cannot express how we will profoundly miss our Father, our Partner, our Adviser & our Friend. Upon relocating to Newport, he was most proud of his work on the Original Nye Beach Overlay Zone Committee, helping to create the environment that allowed Nye Beach to become the mixed-use oasis that it has over the past few decades. He was instrumental in the purchase and redevelopment of several buildings on the West Bayfront, converting to commercial, retail and restaurant space as well as the construction of the West Bayfront Public Dock. He is survived by his son, Ian; daughter, Danielle; and his newest pride and joy, his first grandchild Olivia all of Newport; his sister, Ellie of Klamath Falls and cousins and nieces throughout the country. He is preceded in death by his former wife, Arlene, his parents Ruth and Isaac; cousin Michael; uncle Sid and many, many dear friends, colleagues and family members. Bruce was laid to rest at the Waverly Jewish Cemetery on July 6th in Albany, OR, in accordance to Jewish Customs and Traditions. A celebration of his life is being planned and will be announced promptly. You can follow up on his children's Facebook Page(s) or at isclayman@aol.com. His only wish on his headstone was to say, "He Lived."

Tributes

Bruce Jay Clayman

May 26, 1940 - July 4, 2017