Funeral service for Lonnie Ray Clifton, age 78, of Chattanooga will be at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 21, 2016, at the Jackson Funeral Home Chapel in Frederick with Rev. Les Banks officiating. Burial will follow in the Chattanooga Cemetery under the direction of Jackson Funeral Home. Mr. Clifton passed away on Saturday morning, September 17, 2016, at his home in Chattanooga.

Lonnie Ray Clifton was born on September 12, 1938, in Frederick to Fred Lee and Minnie Ruth (Shipley) Clifton. He attended Frederick Public Schools and graduated from Frederick High School in 1956. Lonnie served in the United States Army from 1956 through 1959. He went to basic training in El Paso, Texas and was stationed in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri and Ft. Ord, California where he did Atomic Bomb testing and received numerous awards. He was employed by the First National Bank in Frederick for 27 years before moving to Stratford and working for the First American Bank. In 1993, the bank was acquired by BancFirst where he served as President until his retirement in 2000. On June 24, 1989, he was united in marriage to Joy Darlene Zitterkob in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

He is survived by his wife Joy of the home; one son, Brant Clifton and his wife DeeAnn of Vernon, Texas; one daughter-in-law, Belinda Montgomery of Whiskey Flats, Texas; grandchildren, Kyle Clifton and his wife Haley, Kelly Patterson and her husband Doug, Bryce Clifton, Carli and Sydni Clifton; six great-grandchildren; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Linda Gibson of Lawton and Wesley Zitterkob and his fiance' Reni' Miller of Indiahoma; nieces and nephews, Paulette Taylor and her husband Shane of Washington, D.C., Connie Clifton of Keller, Texas, Jennifer Brooks and her husband Billy of Lindsay, Becky Ervin and her husband Alan of Chattanooga and Jeff Gibson and his wife Candy of Frederick; great-nieces and nephews, Chase and Kirsten Taylor, Brianna and Brooklyn Brooks, Zackery and Travis Ervin and Brandon and Stephen Gibson; and a host of cousins and other family members.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Brad Clifton; his brother and sister-in-law, John Paul and Rose Mary Clifton; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Reuben and Ruth Zitterkob; and a niece, Sherry Faye Gibson.

Visitation will be on Tuesday evening, September 20, 2016, from 6 until 8 at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Chattanooga Cemetery Association or Wounded Warriors in memory of Lonnie Clifton.