Ute Maria Pawlik Clifton

Ute Maria Pawlik Clifton went home to be with the Lord on October 4, 2019. Ms. Clifton died in Sulphur after a long bout with Alzheimer’s. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at Maplewood First Baptist Church on Tuesday, October 8. All who knew her are welcome to join the family for visitation with light finger foods from 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm, followed by a memorial service from 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm.

 Best known to her friends as “Maria,” she led an active life full of service. Many people remember her as the beautician at West Point Barber Shop who always got the color and cut right. She worked at the shop through the 80s and 90s. Maria was a practicing beautician for more than 40 years. Still others remember her as a pink lady at West Cal Cam Hospital where she volunteered for more than 10 years, or the lady who helped to bring church services to the residents at Holly Hill Nursing Home, or served on the local chapter of the AARP, or the Mayor’s Commission for disabled citizens, or on the hospitality committee at Maplewood First Baptist Church. But she is best known to her family as a steadfast woman of faith who served her husband, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren without fail throughout her life well lived.

 Maria was born on October 20, 1936 as a German citizen in Poland during World War II.  She often recounted stories of life as a child in the middle of war, and always shared the spiritual points that she learned through each experience. She met her husband of 54 years, JD Clifton, in Germany when he was stationed there as a young enlisted man. They married and moved to the United States where they raised two daughters. Serving as a military wife for 22 years, she was also a beautician in multiple states and countries as well as being active in her children’s schools and the communities in which they lived.

 Maria is preceded in death by her mother and father, Maria and Emil Pawlik, her sister, Inge Pawlik Kaser, and her husband of 54 years, JD Clifton. She leaves behind two daughters, Nancy Clifton Tower and husband Ron, and Sandra Clifton Hoffecker and husband CT. Maria also had four grandchildren, Natascha Tower Kraemer, Zackary Cox, Alexis Cox and Natalie Tower; and two great grandchildren Luke and Julia Kraemer. She had a personal relationship with Jesus that transcended all of life’s situations, even Alzheimer’s, and the family rests secure in the knowledge that she is in Glory.

 Cremation has been entrusted to Johnson and Robison Funeral Home.