Clay Cohoe

December 16, 1945 - June 4, 2025

Location Of Death: Mt. Vernon, OR United States

Celebrating Life

Clay George Cohoe passed away on June 4, 2025, at his residence in Mt. Vernon, Oregon, at age 79. He was born on December 16, 1945, in Prairie City, Oregon, to Clay “Percy” and Selma “Sammy” (Justice) Cohoe. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Nicki; his three sons, David (Mary Beth), Dennis, and Craig (Alma); their mother, Pauline Delano; stepdaughter, Lori Smith (Brian); six grandchildren; two step-grandsons; and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister Daisy Kirkpatrick, brother Jay Cohoe, two sisters-in-law, Sandra Walk and Linda Fitzer, six nieces, and six nephews. Clay was preceded in death by his parents, sister Dorothy Cates, brothers-in-law Leo Kirkpatrick, Jesse Cates & Jim Shields, wife Beverly Johns Cohoe, three nieces, and two nephews. Clay grew up in Mt. Vernon and was known as Butch to most of his friends and family. He graduated from Mt. Vernon High School in 1964, where he played baseball, basketball, and football. He worked in mills here and in Coos Bay and at his brother-in-law’s service station in Mt. Vernon. In 1970, he went to work for Oregon Telephone Corporation as a lineman. In 2007, Clay was awarded Outside Plant Employee of the Year at the Oregon Telecommunications Association’s annual meeting. He spent 37 years at Oregon Telephone and retired in 2007. He was a member of John Day Elks Lodge No. 1824 for 52 years. Clay loved his family and was so proud of the fine men his sons grew up to be. He loved and took great joy in his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He loved camping, crabbing, and sightseeing at Winchester Bay, and camping and fishing at Brownlee Reservoir. He enjoyed spending time with his sons camping, fishing, and exploring the backroads. Clay enjoyed traveling and visited all 50 U.S. states, as well as driving to the shore of the Arctic Ocean on the North Slope of Alaska, seven Canadian provinces, the Yukon and Northwest Territories, Australia, and New Zealand. He sometimes had a gruff exterior but a heart of gold, contagious laughter, a penchant for lively but harmless pranks, and was the master of quick comebacks. Graveside service will be at the Fox Cemetery in Fox, Oregon, at 11:00 a.m. on August 9, 2025. Please join Clay’s family after the service for a memorial luncheon at the Community Hall, 640 Ingle Street, Mt. Vernon, Oregon. Memorial contributions may be made to John Day Elks Lodge #1824 or Grant County Emergency Services in Clay’s honor through Driskill Memorial Chapel at 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, Oregon 97845. To offer online condolences to Clay’s family, please visit www.driskillmemorialchapel.com. Obituary courtesy of Driskill’s Memorial Chapel.

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