Mr. Clinton Thomas Downing

Clinton Thomas Downing, 78, who served as a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy during a 23-year career that included time posted in Italy, multiple locations in the United States and a brief stint aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), died Dec. 11 in his home in Sykesville, Md. Born Sept. 22, 1941 in Syracuse, N.Y., Mr. Downing grew up on a dairy farm in the rural village of Heuvelton, N.Y., less than 10 miles from the Canadian border. As a child, Mr. Downing and his siblings were expected to help their parents daily with tasks around the farm. "Everybody went to the barn at milking time," said Mary Downing, Mr. Downing's wife of 57 years. "They were long, hard work days. They used to milk at 5 o'clock in the morning. They'd walk to school—a one-room schoolhouse that went up to eighth grade. After school, they'd come home to their normal chores—helping to keep the barn clean and the animals fed, and then milk again at 5 p.m." Mr. Downing's daily chores on the farm instilled in him a life-long work ethic, said his wife. "He was always, always a hard worker," she added. Mr. Downing's rural upbringing also fostered in him a sense of resilience and self-sufficiency that he maintained for life, Mary Downing added. "If, on the farm, something broke, you had to fix it or jury-rig it," she said. Throughout his life, Mr. Downing would dispense advice to family members on repairing electrical connections, appliances and other household items, starting in a way that became his trademark. "What you need to take and do is…," he would tell them. Life on the farm was usually, though not always, hard work, his wife said. As a child, Mr. Downing would play neighborhood games of baseball with relatives and friends, including when a calf from the farm would accompany him to the field. The calf "used to follow him everywhere," said his wife, who added that the calf was named Penny. "When he ran to a base, she'd run right along and stop on the base. Penny never did the batting, but she was a good runner." Mr. Downing graduated from North High School in Syracuse in 1959 and immediately enlisted in the Navy. He completed his basic training at Naval Station Great Lakes near Chicago. Following basic training, he decided to enroll in Navy Aviation Electronics "A" school in Millington, Tenn. While Mr. Downing thrived at working electronics, the field was far from his only interest. "If there was something to learn, he was all set to learn it," his wife said. Multiple family members described Mr. Downing as a true polymath who graduated at the top of every class at every school he attended. "His mind was brilliant," said his son Clinton. "There wasn't a lot that he couldn't be an expert on, and he was interested in everything." Mr. Downing's home was filled with books, including ones on U.S. history and the country's military history, and he was fascinated about a multitude of topics, including the Civil War and World War II. "He was an academic without academic degrees," said his son Clinton. "Dad was extremely well-read." Throughout his life, Mr. Downing also refused to blindly accept conventional wisdom until he was satisfied with the explanation. As a boy in grade school, he refused to accept a teacher's assertion that the world is round until she could explain why, said his wife. "His patron saint was the right one – Doubting Thomas," said his son Clinton. Mr. Downing's love of knowledge led to wide-ranging, hours-long conversations with his children in which they sought to "solve the world's problems," said Mr. Downing's daughter Christina Hubbard. Particularly after Mr. Downing's children moved out of the family home and began lives of their own, time they spent back at home, discussing and debating politics and other current events with their father, often late into the night, became a cherished part of their time with him. "You always knew that you were going to have food for your mind," said his daughter Christina Hubbard. As a young man, Mr. Downing found a match for his intellect. He graduated from his electronics training in 1961 and soon found himself stationed with the Navy in Brunswick, Maine. In late April 1961, he returned home to New York to visit family, including his cousin Mary, who had a best friend with the same name. "I met him at their home," said Mary Downing, who had a date with another young man that weekend. But Mr. Downing was undeterred. "He said, 'Well, ditch him!" Mary Downing recalled. "And that was the beginning of a beautiful relationship." They were engaged the following Feb. 3, 1962 and eloped less than six months later, on July 28. They had found a justice of the peace in Rensselaer Falls, N.Y. and with the help of witnesses, they were married. They soon moved to Brunswick, Maine, where Mr. Downing was stationed. As Catholics, the couple wanted the Church to recognize their union, so on Feb. 10, 1963, a local priest married them in the eyes of the Church. "We always celebrated both anniversaries," said Mary Downing. Until 1984, except for a period of three years in the 1960s when Mr. Downing worked for General Dynamics in Rochester, N.Y., and Carrier Corp. in Syracuse, he served in the Navy. He and his wife lived in locations including two tours in Sicily, where they formed close friendships with local residents who helped them learn Italian. In addition to a stint in Hawaii and return postings in Tennessee and Maine, Mr. Downing served 30 days at sea aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). During his Naval service, Mr. Downing was known as a deckplate leader with a steadfast dedication to his sailors. “At every turn, Mr. Downing sought to do what was right” said his son Clinton who continued that “his father's military example inspired a generation of loved ones to serve, including both of his sons, three nephews and other close family members.” His dedication and contributions to the United States Navy earned Mr. Downing the coveted rank of Chief Petty Officer. After his retirement from the Navy in 1984, Mr. Downing and his wife returned to New York to raise their growing family. They bought a home in Pulaski, N.Y., close to the shore of Lake Ontario, where they would live for more than three decades. After retiring from the Navy, Mr. Downing worked for Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., from which he accepted an early retirement package in 1995. In retirement, he still helped fix power plant outages for four years in nuclear stations in locations including Connecticut and Maryland. In retirement, Mr. Downing and his wife also enjoyed traveling to locations including the Grand Canyon, to which they took a cross-country road trip. ''Everywhere that looked interesting, we would stop," said Mary Downing. The trip lasted months, and they did it again, bringing along their daughter Mame, the following year. In more recent years, Mr. Downing and his wife lived with their daughter Christina in Alexandria, Va., and their son Clinton in Sykesville, Md. Mr. Downing and his wife in recent years also spent summers with their daughters, living that part of the year in Altmar, N.Y. Mr. Downing was also a man of strong Roman Catholic faith. He was a member of St. Anne Mother of Mary Parish in Mexico, N.Y., and also of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Eldersburg, Md. At Thanksgiving this year, Mr. Downing sat at the head of the table of his son's home in Sykesville, his wife at his side, and with all of his children, and many of his grandchildren, having returned to celebrate together. Family members' dogs barked and bounded through the house, which was frequently filled with raucous laughter. Mary Downing saw her husband peering through a ground-level window as family members socialized outside. "We both said it was the best Thanksgiving we had ever had," she said. Less than two weeks later, in the early morning hours as nearby areas saw the season's first snowfall and Mr. Downing slept in bed next to his wife, his life became complete. Mr. Downing is survived by his beloved wife Mary, his loving children Clinton (Lori), Alicia Mayotte (Rob), Katie Houghtaling (Alexander), Michalina "Mame," Christina Hubbard and Frank (Casey); and his devoted grandchildren, Courtney, Ethan, Kyle, Ellie, Makenzie, Frankie, Ayden, Kaitlyn, Kayliana, Leah, Rudy, Arden and Keaton. He was predeceased by his three sisters, Carol, Darlene "Tinnie," and Michaline "Mickey." Visitation will be held on Sunday, Dec. 15 from 2-4 p.m. at Haight Funeral Home, 6416 Sykesville Rd., Sykesville, Md. A funeral Mass will be said Monday, Dec. 16 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 915 Liberty Rd., Eldersburg, Md. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date to be announced. Memorial donations may be directed to the Carroll County Valor Foundation. (http://www.carrollcommunityfoundation.org/funds.asp?fund_id=380)

Mr. Clinton Thomas Downing

September 22, 1941 - December 11, 2019