On Saturday, June 7, 2025, Clay Zinzel went home to be with his Savior, Jesus.
Clay was an industrious, hard-working, simple man. When he was a young teenager he was hired by George, an immigrant local gas station/auto repair shop owner, who imparted to Clay the value of hard-work while teaching him the trade of auto repair, which ignited this life-long passion. This passion was further fueled by “The Chevelle”, which he disassembled down to the frame in our mother’s driveway, garage, and basement and rebuilt before he was old enough to drive. This car represented one of many crowning achievements in his quiver of talents and giftings.
As a young adult, Clay was mentored by a good friend of our mother’s, Chuck Stroh, in the trade of concrete construction. At the young age of 23, he advanced into the realm of small business ownership with Savvy Construction. To Clay, this was much more than pouring a driveway or a patio…he sought to make each job a piece of art. He had dabbled in carpentry in his younger years and continued honing those skills until they were perfected into an eye for unique custom designs in home remodeling. He was boundless in his pursuits of interests and eventually developed the skills of an artisan craftsman. He loved working with his hands and developed into an expert wood craftsman. He was self-taught in wood-carvings, which are true masterpieces.
Clay loved being a father and loved all the children in our family and extended family. He invited them into projects he was working on, thereby teaching them about cars, concrete /carpentry work, and wood-working. He also knew the value of making memories doing fun things like going to the Circus, State Fairs, Six Flags, etc. Every moment he spent with them was an opportunity to instill in them the virtues of life that made him a success in all that he put his hand to.
Add to this amazing repertoire, the heart of a caring, loving man who helped people beyond measure. It was not uncommon for him to pay the rent for a single mom in need, pick up a stranger to give them a ride, sometimes all the way to Alabama and help them rebuild their life. He routinely dropped what he was doing to help a friend in need. He was always going the extra mile for those in his life…and those who needed a helping hand! Very seldom did he walk into the life of another and not become part of the family, with his wit and his charm and his genuine love of life and people.
Clay loved and was deeply loved by his mother Louise and was known affectionately as Clayburn or Clay Horse. She would tell us, “Out of all the kids, he was the easiest baby ever!” Clay delighted in making sure that she was taken care of and delighted in updating her home with his skills, pouring her a new front porch, driveway, steps, and patio that was a work of art.
Clay passionately desired to be the best father ever, in spite of not having one himself. He was a steadfast, unwavering, devoted father to his son Joshua. His dedication and unconditional love for Joshua never wavered, no matter the circumstances. No distance was too far, no wait was too long, no difficulty too hard. He would be there…
Shortly before he passed, he was surprised to find out that he had a grown, adult daughter, Brandi. He knew his health wasn’t good and that he would not be able to live up to his own expectations of what he wanted to be for her, but he told her that he would make it up to her in heaven.
Clay was loved by his siblings and in-laws: Zip, his oldest brother worked with both Clay and Kurt in various jobs. Zip was in and out of our lives from age 17 when he went into the Army to age 64 when he went to be with the Lord in July, 2017. Their relationship was reciprocal in their sharing/exchange of talents and skills, Zip in technical ways and Clay in simplicity, sharing many projects together.
Kurt, was his closest brother, both in age and in life. They had a life-long unbreakable bond in both triumphs and trials, always having each other’s back. As with Zip, they had this reciprocal sharing/exchange of talents and skills. Our mother said, that because they were so close in age, many people thought they were twins. They were sometimes known as Double Trouble, but also in Kurt’s words Yin and Yang. But in spite of being polar opposite in personality, they were the best of friends. Their lives were so intricately intertwined, that you rarely mentioned Clay without Kurt and vice versa.
Clay was a hero to his sister Tari, by always being there for her and Larry when, as a single mom, life’s demands were more than they could handle. He remained steadfast in that, through the remainder of his life. What a blessing it was for Tari, that when later in life, Tari and her husband Craig were able to be there for him when life was more than Clay could handle.
To his youngest sister Laurie, he was her rescuer, her handsome big brother that everyone wanted to meet. He was always there to help her no matter when or where, or how short the notice was. He also loved to share the thrill of driving “The Chevelle” and when he let her drive it, he gave her an experience she has never forgotten, and fueled her passion for fast cars.
Clay was dearly loved and highly esteemed by his nephew Larry, his wife Amy & their son Levi. He was so excited about Tari being pregnant and that precious child she carried, he couldn’t wait to hold, feed, and change Larry. That never changed. Clay was the only father Larry had in his formidable years. The outings, the projects, the talks, the life spent together can only be summed up by Larry’s own words, “I wouldn’t be half the man I am, if it wasn’t for you, Clay!.”
He was loved and adored by his nephew Jeff & niece Kyra, who have fond memories of sleepovers at Clays’s house near the cemetery, wrestling on the floor and the fun outings, like the Air Show & the Circus.
One of Clay’s most cherished lifelong friendships, next to his brother Kurt, is Steve, his brother from another mother. This friendship, that spanned decades, shared travels , ski-trips, the love of Hot Rods, building and remodeling homes, and family. It culminated in Clay being an integral member of Steve and his late wife Kate’s family. As their family grew, Clay’s posture in their lives would naturally transform into an uncle figure to their children: Stephanie, Noel, Kaylei, Mackenzie and Dane, who loved and adored him.
And for the last 25 years of Clay’s life, his heart belonged to Cindy, his soul-mate and the true love of his life.
Clay’s faith in Jesus sustained him in the challenges of this life. As our mother always shared with us, that God was always with us. She would say, “There is no way (this or that) could have happened except that God was taking care of us.” He knew God was in control and lived by the simple, yet profound commandment of Jesus to “Love your neighbor as yourself”.
Clay will be greatly missed and there will be a void in our family and in the lives of those who loved him. The life that Clay lived was an example to follow. He lived fully…He loved deeply…he dreamed limitlessly! Clay we look forward to our reunion with you in Heaven!