Joseph Baxter Clement, born Aug. 15, 1921, in New Hampshire, has finally laid his last stone on this earth and is playing golf, pinochle and cribbage in a better place. He went to sleep at his home in Yuma, Ariz., with his friend and companion, Betty Wilson, and chose not to wake up on Sept. 16, 2012.
As a young man growing up in New Hampshire, Joe worked as a “carney” for the local carnivals and played ice hockey for many local city leagues. He moved to Sun Valley where he was a masonry contractor in the summers and worked for Sun Valley Co. in the winters. He left many pieces of his artistic trade in the Wood River Valley homes and commercial buildings. When he was employed by Sun Valley on the ski lifts, he penned his “Ski Lines From a Lift Shack,” which epitomized the ski life in Sun Valley and earned him the title “Sage of Sun Valley.” He spent the last years of his life in Yuma continuing to practice his trade and golfing, both of which he only just gave up a year ago.
He leaves behind his friend and companion, Betty Wilson; daughter Kristine Pothier; sons Brian, Wayne and David; and daughter-in-law; Michelle. He also had 13 grandchildren, Jason, Pepper Joe, Bryce, Adam, Jake, Andy, Joey, Erin, Alex, Sam, Jaime, Courtney and Nicholas; and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother and father; two brothers; his wife, Nancy; his sons Dale and Joey; his daughter MaryLouise; one grandson Patrick, and his son-in-law Norman. He is also survived by one older brother, Nelson Bennett.
A celebration of Joe’s life will be held at the Warm Springs Base Lodge in Ketchum on Nov. 3, at 1 p.m. Please join us to celebrate this icon of a man who defied all medical knowledge until the final age of 91 years.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ducks Unlimited local chapter in Joe’s name. He loved this valley because of all the hunting and fishing, and made sure his children grew up appreciating all those things also.
