Clayton Dick Crook
Clay Crook loved his family and doing good in the communities he called home.
Clayton Dick Crook of Moses Lake, Wash., age 82, died March 11, 2024, 30 days short of his 83rd birthday.
Clay was born April 1941 in Longview, Wash. He was the son of Cloyde Carson and Russell Dick Crook. He was the older brother of Roger Glenn Crook, who preceded him in death.
Clay graduated from R.A. Long High School, Longview, Wash., in 1959. He attended Lower Columbia College, Longview, Wash., graduating early in December 1961. He continued on to Western Washington State College (WWU) in Bellingham. Clay graduated with Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, but two credits shy of a dual degree in History, 1965.
Clay married Karen Ann Blair in March of 1962, celebrating their 62nd wedding anniversary this year. Clay was a good dad to two daughters: Cindy Carmel Crook born in Bellingham, Wash., and Kelly Ann Crook born in Seattle, Wash.
After graduation, Clay moved with his family to Seattle, Wash., in 1965. There he started a long career with Seattle First National Bank. He chose banking so he could have his weekends open for his family. He started in management training and then became a Bank Examiner traveling to different branches.
Clay transferred with Seattle First National Bank in 1971, crossing the mountains to Sunnyside, Wash. He had enough of the doom and gloom rain for a lifetime and wanted to see the sun. At the Sunnyside branch, he was an Agriculture Loan Officer, specializing in dairy farms. Also for a time, Clay was a partner of a TIOGA RV Transport Company. He was a Kiwanis member and managed the Sunnyside Sunshine Days Parade for many years. In Sunnyside, Clay found his love for community service, pheasant hunting with loyal hunting dogs, and enjoying close bonds with neighbors and friends. Summer weekends were spent camping at Scooteney Reservoir water skiing and fishing with his family and friends.
Clay was transferred to the bank in Pasco, Wash., as an assistant vice president in 1978, with the family home being in Kennewick, Wash. At this time, Clay became a member of the Chamber of Commerce. Summer weekends were spent in the family boat exploring the many lakes and rivers in Washington State. During these travels, Clay fell in love with Moses Lake, Wash.
Clay transferred to Moses Lake in 1981 as an assistant vice president of the branch. He joined Rotary in 1981 and enjoyed his membership throughout his life. While traveling, he always found a Rotary meeting in the town he was staying, to keep his perfect attendance record. Active in community service, Clay was the president of the Moses Lake Spring Festival from 1982 to 1986, then in charge of the Spring Festival food booths from 1986 to 1999. Clay took part in the Moses Lake Float Committee and even drove the Moses Lake float for three years. During the Grant County Fair. You could always find him working the food booths or taking tickets at the gates.
Always known as a car guy, he joined the Moses Lake Classic Car Club in 1981. Clay had a love for old cars, still owning his first car, a 1946 Plymouth. He loved to collect classic cars; he started collecting Studabakers and moved on to AMC Ramblers. Clay and Karen even have his (yellow) and her (blue) Geo Metro convertible cars. You could always see Clay driving one car in the morning and a different one in the afternoon. At one time his collection was up to 17 cars.
After leaving the bank in 1983, he moved on to a career in property management and became co-owner of Basin Property Management for a while. Then he worked for Advantage GMC Real Estate Moses Lake as a property manager. He owned 36 rental properties and managed more than 250 rentals for GMC Moses Lake.
He retired in 2006 for the great Route 66 trip. Clay and Karen drove Route 66, from Chicago to Los Angeles, in their 1966 AMC Marlin car traveling a total of 2,448 miles. It took them three months to travel the whole route, stopping at car shows along the way.
Clay is survived by his wife, Karen Ann Crook, daughters Kelly Ann Crook of Moses Lake, Wash., and Cindy Manderfeld, son-in-law Robert Manderfeld, grandson Eric Volquardson, great-granddaughters, Araceli Amezcua and Charity Volquardson, all of San Diego, Calif.
Please express your thoughts and memories for the family at www.kayserschapel.com. Arrangements are under the care of Kayser's Chapel of Memories.