Clifton was born to A. Davis Merkley and Nellie May Oaks Merkley on November 30, 1935 and raised in Vernal, Utah. As a youth he played baseball and helped his parents on their farm. He married Shirley Ann Rounds in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on September 12, 1960. Clifton received a Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering from BYU and a Master's degree from the University of Phoenix. He was employed with IBM Boulder, Colorado for over 30 years. While with IBM, Clifton, and his team, led the development of toner manufacturing. He traveled the world helping to lead IBM's first consulting group who worked with companies such as Pfizer, Peterbilt, Mercedes and Learjet. Hobbies included the outdoors, camping, farming, RVing, and golfing. He followed the Colorado Rockies and the BYU Cougars. He loved visiting friends and family. Clifton served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Great Lakes Mission during 1955-57. He also served in various church callings and in the National Guard Reserves.
Clifton is survived by his wife Shirley Merkley, children Susan (Lance) Henrie, Wendy (Kirk) Welker, Julie (Kenneth) Maxwell, Ryan (Stephanie) Merkley, Lori (Thompson) Garrard, twelve grandchildren, sister Vivian (William) Maedgen, sister-in-law Christy Leavitt (L. Keith Merkley) and many nieces and nephews. Clifton is preceded in death by his parents and a brother L. Keith Merkley.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00pm on Friday, October 17, 2014 at the Canyon View LDS Stake Center, 9119 South 1300 East. A visitation will be Thursday evening from 6-8pm at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South) in Sandy and on Friday from 12:30-1:30pm prior to the services at the church.
Graveside services will be held at 12:00 noon on Saturday, October 18, 2014 at the Maeser Fairview Cemetery, 400 South 3500 West, Vernal, UT.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Clifton's name to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Humanitarian Fund. Thank you to the Brighton Hospice Team and caregivers at Sunrise of Sandy. Online condolences welcomed at www.larkincares.com.