Dwight Clifton

A celebration of life service for George Dwight Clifton, 77, of Cleburne, Texas, will be conducted at 5:00pm on Friday, April 7, 2023 at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Posse White Building. Charlie Throckmorton and Russ Weaver will officiate services. Family and friends are encouraged to attend.

Dwight Clifton passed surrounded by his family in Fort Worth, Texas on Friday, March 10, 2023. He was born to Thomas Edward Clifton and Elizabeth Massie Bell Clifton on January 23, 1946 in Fort Worth, Texas. He grew up on a wheat farm in Dalhart, Texas where he excelled in sports in high school and later attended the University of Houston on a full football scholarship. In 1966 Dwight entered the US Air Force stationed at Barksdale AFB and later at McClellan in Sacramento, CA where he served until his discharge in 1970.
Education was important to him and in 1970 he returned to school to earn his degree at Tarleton State University, Stephenville. He pursued a career with Cleburne ISD as a high school teacher and coach. He spent his last 20 years teaching agriculture with Dalhart and Cumby ISD before retiring in 2015. He also worked a number of years for the Santa Fe Railroad in Cleburne and for the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department. He attended Calvary Baptist Church, Cleburne.

Dwight pursued life with many talents – he was a horseman raising and training horses but primarily enjoyed training calf horses that he placed with several PRCA ropers. He had many vocational talents including welding, horse shoeing, and could often be found in his leather shop making saddles and tack. Dwight was also experienced in beef and swine production and raised hogs for his students to show at the local stock shows.

Dwight was a true Texas cowboy. Tall, handsome and always a polished appearance. He was kind-hearted and gentle in nature. Extremely intelligent, he entered a room with a large presence and a cool demeanor but spoke with no nonsense. He loved animals and the country life and lived for both. He enjoyed adventures, but preferred to drive to experience them by taking to the road in his Chevrolet pickup. He especially enjoyed the big country of his beloved Texas panhandle. He was always up for a steak dinner and was known to order the largest one on the menu.

He will be missed by his survivors, daughter Tonya Lee Clifton Emmons and husband, Johnny of Weatherford; brother, Tom Clifton, Jr. and wife, Sue of Cleburne; sister, Nina Meeks of Amarillo. Also numerous nieces, nephews; and a host of other relatives and friends, including his beloved companion, Kathy Clemens of Fort Worth.

His daughter requests in lieu of flowers to donate to the Alzheimer’s Association, 2630 W. Freeway, Fort Worth, Texas 76102.