Clayborn Edwin Northrup, 78, of Union, died peacefully of complications from Alzheimer’s disease on Dec. 23 at the South Portland Nursing Home in South Portland.
Clayborn was born on Jan. 25, 1936, in Razorville. He earned his GED, after spending two years at Erskine Academy. Despite a childhood accident, disfiguring his hands with dynamite caps, Clayborn built his own successful business using those hands, doing electrical, heating, and plumbing work. Earlier, he learned the standards of carpentry, working for David and Boynton Hatch, and Clayborn would say this profession was his favorite. He returned to it, much later in life, starting and running his own master carpentry business in Memphis, Tenn. He built beautiful cabinetry and circular staircases, even being noted in a national publication, the Veranda Magazine, for his excellent work. Clayborn would say he could never have done any of these things without his dedicated and supportive wife, “Ve,” by his side.
Clayborn is preceded in death by his parents, George and Mae Northrup; brother, Donald Northrup; sisters, Lois Fossett, and Lorna Lyles; and infant daughter, Lorna Ann Northrup.
Clayborn is survived by his wife of 58 years, Vera Northrup of Union; daughters, Rhonda Gillis of Smyrna, Tenn., and Wendy Northrup of Portland; sons-in-law, Dan Gillis and Gerard Zarrilli; siblings, Marie Lee of Jefferson, Norma Young of China Village, Wayne Northrup of Jefferson, and Dale Northrup of Dresden; grandchildren, Chelsea Rae Gillis of Los Angeles, Johnathan Clay Gillis of Portland, and Christoper Daniel Gillis and Brittany Napper, with great-grandchild Eli Edwin Gillis of Smyrna, Tenn.; step-grandchild, Amelia and husband Kenneth Mosby of Lynchburg, Va., with step-great-grandchildren, Canio Gerard and Audrey Louise Mosby.
A service for Clayborn will be held this summer, at the People’s United Methodist Church, in Union, followed by a reception; date and time to be determined.
Donations are appreciated, made to the Alzheimer’s Association, at Alz.org/donate.