God forever changed our lives on Friday evening, April 22, 2022, when He took the hand of Clayton Charles Weishuhn from the steering wheel of his brown pickup truck and walked with him into Heaven.
Born on October 7, 1959, in St. John’s Hospital in San Angelo, Texas, he was the third child of Olen and Merline (Michalewicz) Weishuhn. He and his four siblings (Darryl, Lisa, Karl, and Doyle) were raised on a cotton and milo farm east of Wall, Texas. While all of the family enjoyed living on the land, Clayton had a passion for the land. He loved planting the seeds in the soil and watching the crops grow.
When Clayton was a sophomore, he started dating his high school sweetheart, who would later become his best friend and forever wife and partner, Diane Mikulik. She was his soul mate. They married on August 2, 1980, after dating four and a half years.
Clayton played football in high school and was called a blue-chip high school football prospect. He had offers from Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Texas, Baylor, Southern Methodist University, and many other Division 1 schools. He chose to stay at home and go to Angelo State University, so he could be close to his family, his sweetheart, Diane, and the farmland which he loved. In 1978 ASU won the NAIA National Championship. He was later inducted into the Lone Star Conference Hall of Fame.
In 1982, Clayton was drafted by the New England Patriots, and he and Diane moved to Foxboro, Massachusetts. Clayton played for six years – five years with New England and one year with the Green Bay Packers. While at New England he was selected Rookie of the Year, and in his second year in the league he set the New England Patriots’ single-season record for tackles with 229, a record which still holds today.
Although Clayton’s football records were exceptional and outstanding, his character as a man was stellar! He never boasted about his playing ability and accomplishments but when he walked into a room, you felt his magnetism, care, love and friendship for you, and all others. When he interacted with you, you knew he was WITH you. He never met a stranger and if he did, he would soon be laughing and joking with them. He had a brilliance in that way!
Clayton’s smile was warm, loving, and infectious with a hint of mischief in it. His chuckle made his body shake, and he would hide his smile/laughter with his hand over his mouth, but his twinkling eyes gave him away. In kindness, he was the master! If you knew him, you couldn’t help but love him!
During his years of playing football, he and wife, Diane, became the parents of three remarkable daughters: Brandi, Shannon, and Lauren. Each has grown into full womanhood with families of their own. His daughters believe that his greatest legacy was the love that he showed to all he knew, and his wife and daughters got the very best of that love. He was an amazing “Papa” to 10 wonderful grandkids. He loved snuggling with them. They had deep pride in being his grandchild.
Clayton was preceded in death by his father, Olen Weishuhn; also, his brother-in-law,sister-in-law, and niece, Bryan, Debra, and Olivia Mikulik. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Diane, and three daughters and spouses, Brandi (Evan) Loomis, Shannon (Curtis) Eggemeyer, and Lauren (Lance) Tissue. Grandchildren: Ward, Kathryn, Mack, and Charlotte Loomis; Ian, Adalynn, and Ava Eggemeyer, and Callon, Maxton, and Judson Tissue. In addition, he is survived by his mother, Merline Weishuhn of Wall, Texas, siblings and spouses Darryl (Carolyn) Weishuhn of Wall, Texas, Lisa (David) Edwards of Del Rio, Karl (Charlotte) Weishuhn of Wall, Texas, and Doyle (Michele) Weishuhn of Andrews, Texas as well as a host of nieces and nephews of the Weishuhn families. On his wife’s side of the family, he is survived by Harvey and Mary Jane Mikullik, his father and mother-in-law, brothers-in-law and spouses, Michael (Kim) Mikulik of Wall, Kevin (Cindy) Mikulik of Wall, David (Darla) Mikulik of Wall, Gayle (Layton) Fincher of Midland, Texas, as well as a host of nieces and nephews of the Mikulik families.
Clayton, Daddy, Papa, we love you! Thank you for being an incredible husband, father, Papa, son, brother, and friend to all of us. Clayton, you planted more seeds of kindness in others’ lives than you ever planted in the ground!
Rosary will be held at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Wall, TX Monday, April 25th at 6:00 pm. Funeral services to follow at 10:00 am on Tuesday, April 26th, at St. Ambrose. Memorials can be given to the Wall Volunteer Fire Department or West Texas Rehab.
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