Barbara J. Clayton (Knoll)

Barbara J. (Knoll) Clayton, 93, of Reading, passed away on Thursday, November 19, 2020, in Reading Hospital from heart failure. She was the wife of the late C. William Clayton. Born in Reading, PA on January 19, 1927, she was the daughter of the late Paul F. and Ortrud K. (Kuntze) Knoll. Barb was a member of Trinity U.C.C. Mt. Penn, where she was a former Sunday School Teacher. She was a graduate of Mt. Penn High School, Class of 1944 and of Penn State University, Class of 1948 earning a B.S. in Health and Physical Education. Barb was a former member of Kappa Delta Sorority and on the rifle team at Penn State where she won an intercollegiate marksmanship competition. She attended her 70th Penn State reunion in 2018 and was a life-long Nittany Lion fan.

Barb began her teaching career at Northwest Jr. High School in Reading from 1948-1950. Barb then moved to the Pottsgrove School District where she taught Health and Physical Education for 27 years (1961-1988). She was also Pottsgrove’s assistant coach for Hockey, Basketball and Track and a founding member of the Student Assistance Team. Barb was a former member of the PA State Education Association and the American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation. For the last four years of her employment she served as department chairperson and she retired in 1988. Barb was a working mother and a strong role model for her two daughters who are so proud of her and who will miss her dearly every day.

After being divorced for 15 years, Barb met the love of her life Bill Clayton and they married in 1985. Barb and Bill enjoyed their retirement years taking road trips around the country and cruising to Alaska and the Caribbean. She also had fun traveling with her two daughters to Germany, Italy and several other European countries. For Barb’s 90th birthday, her daughters took her on a cruise to the Caribbean where she swam with the manatees. Barb was an avid tennis player and played the game well into her 80’s. In 2012, Barb and Bill moved to The Heritage at Green Hills retirement community where they made a whole new set of friends. Barb played water volleyball, corn hole, quoits, bingo and pinochle regularly and helped to make quilts for charity. She volunteered at her church Trinity UCC, as a member of the Aulenbach's Cemetery Board, at the Soup Kitchen in Reading and at the Green Hill Manor. Her Heritage family lovingly supported her when Bill died in 2015 and when she had her leg amputated in 2019.

Barb is survived by two daughters Sandra Lee (Lindemuth) Hughes and her husband Brent of Birmingham, Alabama and Susan Joan (Lindemuth) Gonzales, widow of Chris, Gulf Breeze, Florida; two sons William B. Clayton and his wife Gudrun of Virginia Beach, VA and Robert W. Clayton and his wife Stephanie of Austin, TX; nine grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; three cousins, Jim, Jack and Fred Knoll; sister-in-law Suzanne Farren; nieces Donna Dugger and Debbie Gunter and nephew Paul Farren. She was predeceased by a brother, Dr. Donald R. Farren of Palm Harbor, FL.

Services and interment will be held at a later date due to the COVID pandemic. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: Trinity U.C.C., 2449 Cumberland Ave., Reading, PA 19606, Animal Rescue League, 58 Kennel Rd., Birdsboro, PA 19508 or Aulenbach's Cemetery 2050 Howard Blvd., Reading, PA 19606. Lutz Funeral Home, Inc. is in charge of arrangements. For online condolences, please visit www.LutzFuneralHome.com