Clay Duggan

Clay Duggan was born August 8, 1928, as the middle child to Clay Crockett Duggan (1885-1952) and Elvira Paul Duggan (died 1986). He grew up in White Plains, New York, with his older sister Marjorie (1927-2002) and younger brother Joseph (1930-1991). After being graduated from high school, he earned a B.A. in history from Grove City College. While there, he found Christ and was saved. After graduation he considered serving as a pastor. He completed a B.Div at Faith Seminary. Clay's education was not yet at an end. He took evening classes at Drexel University while working in his first of several engineering jobs as a technical assistant for Westinghouse in their steam turbine division. In 1962 he earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering and also started a job with Rockwell International working on some of the early ground and flight test vehicles of the Apollo program. Clay joined Knox Orthodox Presbyterian Church in the early 60s following his brother Joseph Duggan. He shared and enjoyed Knox's commitment to the regulative principle of worship and exclusive Psalmody. He served there as a ruling elder and Sunday school teacher. During the 1960s he worked for Piasecki Aircraft, General Electric, and Boeing on various aerospace projects. In August 1967 he married Susan Zebley (born 1940). Their house was in the Overbrook Farms section of Philadelphia, and his first child, Paul, was born in 1968. His daughter, Susan, was born in 1970 and his second son, Richard, was born in 1971. He raised all in the Reformed faith. His longest stretch of engineering work was at the Budd Company, one of the last American train manufacturers, where he was employed from 1974 until 1986. In 2002, Clay and Susan moved from their house in Philadelphia to Arizona, taking ownership of his sister Marjorie's house there. They joined Desert Springs Presbyterian Church in 2004. Clay suffered from Alzheimer's disease and died of complications relating to that on Tuesday, October 20, 2009. He is survived by his wife, three children, and eleven grandchildren. Click Here to view the memorial service for Clay Duggan.