Obituary of Thomas Bruce Clayton

Thomas (Bruce) Clayton, 64, of Farmingdale passed away on Thursday, September 17, 2020 at CentraState Medical Center. He was born in Neptune, raised in Farmingdale, and has lived there all his life. Bruce went to Howell High School and studied at Brookdale Community College. He worked for the East Windsor Public Works as the Assistant Manager for many years. Bruce was known for his love of yard sales and auctions, especially the Collingwood and Columbus Auctions. He enjoyed working outdoors and tried his hand at raising trees, flowering shrubs, fruits, and vegetables. On his family farm, he enjoyed digging holes and tinkering with his Massey Ferguson backhoe which he and his family referred to as the “orange monster”.

In his latter years Bruce enjoyed his yearly trips to the Philippines to visit his extended family and friends.

Bruce is survived by his former wife Valerie Clayton of Farmingdale and their two children, MaryKate Clayton of Farmingdale, and Thomas C. Clayton of Farmingdale. His partner Iris Costanilla of the Philippines and their son Bryce Costanilla Clayton of the Philippines; parents, Thomas A. Clayton and Emily Jeanne of Farmingdale; siblings, Victoria Biddle and her husband, Frank of Adelphia, Walter Clayton and his wife, Linda of Howell, Cynthia Cornman and her husband, Paul of Freehold, and Steven Clayton and his wife, Tracey of Howell; and 11 nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Gathering will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freehold Township on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. For the safety of the public and our staff, we are asking everyone to help us adhere to the CDC guidelines. Facemasks will be required. Burial will be a private ceremony for immediate family only. In lieu of flowers, donations Bruce’s name may be made to the West Farms Methodist Church, 153 Casino Drive, Farmingdale, NJ 07727 or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 200 Vesey Street, 28th Floor New York, NY 10281. For information, directions, or to leave condolence messages to the family, please visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com