Dr. Clayton McNearney

January 29, 1940 - January 4, 2015

Dr. Clayton L. McNearney, 74, of Huntington, WV died January 4, 2015. He was born January 29, 1940 in Minneapolis, MN, a son of the late John and Gladys Sorenson McNearney. He attended Minneapolis public schools, then 1½ years at Maryknoll Seminary in Glen Ellyn, IL. Received a BA from the University of Minnesota in 1963, and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1970. He was a Post-doc Fellow at Columbia University in New York from 1976-77, where he studied literature of the American Revolution with Sacvan Bercovitch. He taught at Holy Cross College, Worcester, MA from 1968-72, and at Marshall University from 1972-2013, where he served as chair of the Department of Religious Studies from 1989-2013. For many years Professor McNearney studied printmaking with Professor Peter Massing of Marshall University’s Art Department.

He is survived by daughter Kathleen; son Aaron; son Christopher, his wife Sarah and granddaughter Wren; son Jonas, wife Beth Anne, granddaughters Emily, Claire, and grandson Owen; brothers, Denny (Joanne) Jack (Carole) and Tony; and sister Kathy (Bill) Current.

A celebration of life will begin at 3 PM Saturday, January 10, 2015 at St. John’s Episcopal Fellowship Hall, Huntington, WV with Dana Sutton coordinating. The family will receive friends for a time of fellowship from 2 to 3 PM. Slack and Wallace Funeral Home, South Point, OH is assisting the family with arrangements. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Hospice of Huntington, P.O. Box 464 Huntington, WV 25709. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.slackandwallace.com.