Henry Clifford of Thatcher entered into eternity on Wednesday, August 25, 2021, in Tucson, AZ at the age of 96. He was born on November 11, 1924, to Fred Clifford & Elizabeth Harper Eisenhart Clifford, in Dos Cabezas, AZ where his father was working in the gold and silver mines.
He began his schooling in Dos Cabezas until the family moved to Willcox and continued school there for the next 2 years. Then they moved to Solomon in 1934, and he graduated from Safford High School, Class of 1943.
He entered the U.S. Navy the day after graduation and served in the South Pacific until he was discharged in 1945. Henry enrolled at the University of Arizona for the next two years. He married Delores in Lordsburg, New Mexico in 1947 and they were blessed with children Art Stacy, and Henry & Fred Clifford. He worked for the Claridge and the Hooker ranches for a short time and later began working for the U.S. Postal Service in 1952, for 29 years.
Henry lived in Thatcher from 1953 until 1955, then moved back to Safford, and then returned to Thatcher in 1986. He was a member of the American Legion and the National Rifleman Association and enjoyed hunting, fishing, exploring nature and historical sites, and loved being with his family. He was an honest, fair, and compassionate man who left no debts unpaid or late. His favorite saying was “Don’t get excited, but above all, don’t get me excited!”.
Henry is survived by his children Art (Maureen) Stacy, Henry Clifford, and Fred (Susie) Clifford, his sister Peggy (Rudy) Lloyd, 22 Grandchildren, and 6 Great-Grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents Fred & Elizabeth Clifford, his brothers Fred, George, and James Clifford, his sister Marian, and his two wives Delores & Geraldine.
A viewing will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 4, 2021, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Thatcher Stake Center. Funeral services will follow at 10:00 a.m. followed by the interment in the Safford Cemetery with military honors by the Gila Valley Honor Guard.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Graham County Historical Society at PO Box 274, Thatcher, AZ 85552.
Arrangements are being cared for by McDougal’s Caldwell Funeral Chapel located at 112 E. Main Street, Safford, Arizona 85546, www.caldwellfuneralchapel.com.
