Clyde Rice Horton

Clyde Rice Horton, left this life on January23,2017. Known by many as CR, he lived a long and happy life for 91 years.
CR was born in 1925 to James Know Polk Horton and Vena Amanda (Rice), in Ashland KY, representing the 5th generation of Hortons in Kentucky. The family soon moved to a farm in Carter County KY. CR played basketball for Prichard High school in Grayson KY., A state championship contender. He joined the Marines in 1943, the spring of his senior year, when he learned he'd be drafted the following day.
In the South Pacific during World War II, CR saw action and supported Marine aviation times. In recent years he began to tell stories of his wartime experience. After the war he lived a short while in Los Angeles, where he invested his back pay in real estate while picking up odd jobs such as being a movie extra before returning to Kentucky.
CR enrolled in the University of Louisville while also working part time rolling barrels at Seagram's Distilling. There he met Peggy McGalin, who was the editor of the company's in-house magazine. They married in 1947.
CR went on to earn his B.S. in commerce while Peggy completed her degree in English, also from UofL. They were great Cardinal basketball fans, while CR maintained a special regard for the Kentucky Wildcats. CR began his career with American Airlines, working for many years at Standiford Field. They were able to go on many trips, especially to Mexico and later the Virgin Islands. Their marriage lasted 33 years, until Peggy's death in 1981.
Over the years CR had many encounters with interesting people traveling through Louisville. Once, a short man in a white suit, with white hair and a white goatee,approached him and a co-workier at the ticket counter. "Sell your wife and mortgage your house, boys," the Kentucky colonel exclaimed. "I'm going to make you rich!" CR and his friend AO looked at each other and suppressed a laugh, "Nobody is going to eat that much chicken," they decided.
Perhaps because of his farm upbringing CR loved to garden. He built two greenhouses on his small city lot, each one a tropical showcase. One greenhouse was filled with Orchids, the other contained an electric collection of exotic plants along with a small patio and fish pond. CR was a long time member of the Kentucky Orchid Society and the Daylily Society of Louisville.
After a number of years on his own, CR was enticed by a good friend to look up his high school sweetheart. She was then living in San Diego, California. Eventually Bobbie Rovegno, nee Brawner, moved back to Louisville with CR. Bobbie quickly became involved in CR's many interests, which also included antiquing. They enjoyed each other's company for more than 20 years, until her death in 2014.
Clyde leaves two children: Ann Mefford (Michael) and Travis Horton (Elizabeth Carney); grandchildren, Amanda Mefford (Dr. Neil Moore), Stacy; Mairead Horton; Liam Horton. He is also survived by Beverly Slusser, a close friend who provided care and companionship to both Bobbie and Clyde, for which his family is grateful.
Cr will be inurned at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery, Northeast, Greenup county KY, sometime later this year when the weather is nice. Expressions of sympathy can be made to the Daylily Society of Louisville.

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