Obituary Neal Raymond Clapper

A graveside service with full military honors for Neal Raymond Clapper, 77, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley.

Mr. Clapper died Feb. 7, 2002 at Carson-Tahoe Hospital of complications due to respiratory distress.

He was born Feb. 8, 1924 in Kalispell, Mont. to Neil Henry and Ruth Hesse Clapper.

Mr. Clapper attended schools in Kalispell until he joined the U.S. Navy Nov. 4, 1941.

During and after WWII Mr. Clapper served with distinction on U.S. submarines: USS Bluegill, USS Sea Dog, USS Stickleback, USS Caimen, USS Orion and USS Pomfret. In 1954, he became part of the Navy's development team for the undersea missile program beginning with the Polaris system serving on the USS Observation Island and USS George Washington. Her retired from the Navy Aug. 2, 1962 after more than 20 years of service.

After his retirement, Mr. Clapper raised and showed Tennessee Walking Horses in Washington, California and Tennessee until his move to Carson in 1987.

He was preceded in death by a brother, two sisters and his daughter Patricia Joan Stoddard of Camino, Calif.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years Beatrice Evelyn of Carson City; step-son Charles Gilmore of Sparks; step-daughter Elizabeth Barnes of Sonora, Calif.; brothers Clarence and Charlie of Kalispell; a sister Betty Evenson of Fairbanks, Alaska; granddaughters Kim Strange of Wasilla, Alaska, Diana Medina of Sparks, and Karen Gilmore of West Palm Beach, Fla.; grandsons Stephen Barnes of Sonora, Harold "Chip" Barnes of Jamestown, Calif., Chad Barnes of Port Royal, S.C. and Ronald of Kalispell; and 16 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 1-7 p.m. Thursday at Walton's Chapel of the Valley in Carson City.