1948
Wendy
2023
Wendy Fern (Dawson) Clifton
September 18, 1948 — March 19, 2023
Wendy Clifton Obituary
With deep sadness, we announce that Wendy Fern (Dawson) Clifton, 74, of Mansfield Center, CT, wife of Charles “Chuck” Monroe Clifton, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on March 19, 2023. She was born September 18, 1948 in New Haven, CT, daughter of the late Vernon and Florence (Munck) Dawson.
Wendy’s family lived in Connecticut until her father, who had served as an officer in World War II, rejoined the U.S. Army and moved the family to Huntsville, AL, Fort Benning, GA, Aberdeen, MD, and Albuquerque, NM, returning to Connecticut whenever possible to spend time with her grandmothers. When Wendy was 10, she and her family moved to Mainz, on the Rhine River, in Germany, then to the farm village of Mainz-Gonsenheim, and later to Weiden in Bavaria. Due to her parents’ strong belief that it would provide a wonderful learning and cultural experience for their children, Wendy and her siblings were enrolled in German schools, and the family lived amongst the German people, not on Army bases. Wendy and her family embraced the experience, making life-long friends and speaking German fluently. Living in Germany also provided them with many travel experiences.
After four years, the family returned to Connecticut to be near Wendy’s beloved grandmothers in Hamden and then moved to Storrs, CT in 1963. A 1966 graduate of E.O. Smith School, she matriculated to the University of Connecticut, receiving a B.S. in Children Development and Family Relations in 1971. While at UCONN, she worked in the library where she met her future husband, Charles M. Clifton. They married on January 24, 1970 and lived in Storrs, Windham, and Coventry, before settling in Mansfield in 1978. Wendy was thrilled to live in a home that enabled her parents to reside with her, Chuck, and son Brett.
Wendy was very active in her family’s church, Ebenezer Lutheran in Willimantic, Connecticut, serving on the Church Council for many years, as Sunday School Superintendent, and on numerous other church committees for most of her adult life. Her “volunteer” career also included service on both the Mansfield Social Services and Youth Services boards. In addition to volunteering with the UCONN League and tutoring children, she also was a member of the Mansfield Middle School PTO board, which led to planning programs and assemblies for the school, including starting and then running the school’s Students Against Driving Drunk (SADD) program for seven years. She felt called to minister to others by performing as the Christian Clown Doodlebug (which was her dad’s nickname for her), visiting shut-ins, and taking birthday cakes to every church friend over the age of 70. However, Wendy always said her most important and rewarding job was raising her son, Brett, in whom she instilled her strong values and dedication to family.
In addition to her husband of 53 years, Wendy is survived by her son, Brett M. Clifton, and his wife, Hannah, and grandsons Rhys Dawson Clifton and Zachary Thomas Clifton, all of Attleboro, MA, who, with their parents, were the joy of her life. Also surviving her are her brother Bruce C. Dawson of Silver Spring, MD, brother-in-law Jack Kasulis of Norman, OK, and six special nieces and nephews, each of whom she adored: her sister Karen’s children Kimberly Haggard of Norman, OK, Amy Yowell (Mark) of Wichita Falls, TX, Scott Kasulis (Heather) of Edmund, OK, Mark Kasulis (Ally) of Norman, OK; and her brother Bruce’s children Carissa Dorson (Shane) of Los Angeles and Ryan Dorson (Kaitie) of Seattle, Washington. She was predeceased by her sister Karen (Dawson) Kasulis.
There are no calling hours. Wendy’s family will have a celebration of the gift that was her life at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Willimantic, CT. She will be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Windham Area Interfaith Ministry (WAIM).
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in memory of Wendy Fern (Dawson) Clifton, please visit our floral store.
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With deep sadness, we announce that Wendy Fern (Dawson) Clifton, 74, of Mansfield Center, CT, wife of Charles “Chuck” Monroe Clifton, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on March 19, 2023. She was born September 18, 1948 in New Haven, CT, daughter of the late Vernon and Florence (Munck) Dawson.
Wendy’s family lived in Connecticut until her father, who had served as an officer in World War II, rejoined the U.S. Army and moved the family to Huntsville, AL, Fort Benning, GA, Aberdeen, MD, and Albuquerque, NM, returning to Connecticut whenever possible to spend time with her grandmothers. When Wendy was 10, she and her family moved to Mainz, on the Rhine River, in Germany, then to the farm village of Mainz-Gonsenheim, and later to Weiden in Bavaria. Due to her parents’ strong belief that it would provide a wonderful learning and cultural experience for their children, Wendy and her siblings were enrolled in German schools, and the family lived amongst the German people, not on Army bases. Wendy and her family embraced the experience, making life-long friends and speaking German fluently. Living in Germany also provided them with many travel experiences.
After four years, the family returned to Connecticut to be near Wendy’s beloved grandmothers in Hamden and then moved to Storrs, CT in 1963. A 1966 graduate of E.O. Smith School, she matriculated to the University of Connecticut, receiving a B.S. in Children Development and Family Relations in 1971. While at UCONN, she worked in the library where she met her future husband, Charles M. Clifton. They married on January 24, 1970 and lived in Storrs, Windham, and Coventry, before settling in Mansfield in 1978. Wendy was thrilled to live in a home that enabled her parents to reside with her, Chuck, and son Brett.
Wendy was very active in her family’s church, Ebenezer Lutheran in Willimantic, Connecticut, serving on the Church Council for many years, as Sunday School Superintendent, and on numerous other church committees for most of her adult life. Her “volunteer” career also included service on both the Mansfield Social Services and Youth Services boards. In addition to volunteering with the UCONN League and tutoring children, she also was a member of the Mansfield Middle School PTO board, which led to planning programs and assemblies for the school, including starting and then running the school’s Students Against Driving Drunk (SADD) program for seven years. She felt called to minister to others by performing as the Christian Clown Doodlebug (which was her dad’s nickname for her), visiting shut-ins, and taking birthday cakes to every church friend over the age of 70. However, Wendy always said her most important and rewarding job was raising her son, Brett, in whom she instilled her strong values and dedication to family.
In addition to her husband of 53 years, Wendy is survived by her son, Brett M. Clifton, and his wife, Hannah, and grandsons Rhys Dawson Clifton and Zachary Thomas Clifton, all of Attleboro, MA, who, with their parents, were the joy of her life. Also surviving her are her brother Bruce C. Dawson of Silver Spring, MD, brother-in-law Jack Kasulis of Norman, OK, and six special nieces and nephews, each of whom she adored: her sister Karen’s children Kimberly Haggard of Norman, OK, Amy Yowell (Mark) of Wichita Falls, TX, Scott Kasulis (Heather) of Edmund, OK, Mark Kasulis (Ally) of Norman, OK; and her brother Bruce’s children Carissa Dorson (Shane) of Los Angeles and Ryan Dorson (Kaitie) of Seattle, Washington. She was predeceased by her sister Karen (Dawson) Kasulis.
There are no calling hours. Wendy’s family will have a celebration of the gift that was her life at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Willimantic, CT. She will be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Windham Area Interfaith Ministry (WAIM).
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Wendy Fern (Dawson) Clifton, please visit our floral store.
Read More
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Wendy Fern (Dawson) Clifton, please visit our flower store.
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