Just as he had always planned, Clyde “Cork” Maddux, 77, snuck into heaven on Wednesday, September 4th, 2019, exactly one-half hour before the devil knew he was dead. He leaves behind a sister, Bonnie Stroud (you read that correctly: Bonnie and Clyde), the love of his life, Betty (Simpson), an alarmingly attractive son Patrick (Jennifer) of Dubuque IA, two daughters with great personalities; Shannon (Rich) Gonzalez, of Chattanooga, TN and Molly (Matt) Noon, of Council Bluffs, IA; 6 grandchildren,… who he believed were prodigies: Grace, Joseph, Olivia, Evelyn, Ben, Lizzy, and hundreds of friends all of whom he loved dearly.
Clyde earned his nickname by “shooting out like a cork” on June 22nd, 1942. Born and raised in North Omaha, Clyde grew to large proportions both in size and personality. Subtlety, restraint, finesse and quiet humility are just some of the words people never used to describe him.
Be it settling countless street confrontations in North Omaha with reasoned diplomacy, or gently nudging people out of the way while playing basketball at U of Omaha, Clyde was a cerebral problem solver. He applied these same peaceful strategies to misbehaving soldiers as a military policeman in Greenland and as a highly persuasive prison guard at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Fortunately, his conflict resolution skills softened as he aged.
After the army, he returned home to Omaha and somehow convinced Betty to marry him which was a surprise to everyone, especially Betty. The best explanation Betty can offer is that “he just wore me down”. In truth, the largest part of Big Clyde was his heart and he loved Betty with all of it for 53 years.
Clyde was a salesman and manager for Hormel Foods for over 40 years. He loved his job as it allowed him to meet new people, make new friends, and fill the house with “samples”. While his work was important, there was never any doubt that his friends and family were the center of his world. Truly, no family has eaten more pork products or has been more deeply loved.
Big Clyde could be brought to tears by a mere mention of his kids or grandkids. He was our biggest cheerleader who had wildly unrealistic but unwavering conviction that we were world-renowned artists, captains of industry, and phenomenal parents. Everywhere Clyde went, he made friends. He had a great passion for people and was a world-class storyteller. If you were a friend of Clyde’s, you will have heard many of these stories, likely repeated numerous times.
If you’d like to share some Clyde stories and celebrate a life exceptionally well-lived, please join the family at the Broadmoor at Aksarben Village Club Room, 2225 S. 64th Plaza in Omaha, on Saturday, September 14th from 3 to 6 PM.
A short committal ceremony will be held on Friday, September 13th at 1 PM at the Omaha National Cemetery, 14250 Schram Road.
A sincere thank you to the amazing staff at the Douglas County Health Center and St. Croix Hospice. Clyde is giving you all a giant bear hug from heaven.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association or Douglas County Health Center.