Charles "Charlie Clapp's Obituary
Charlie Clapp, 95, passed away peacefully on March 18, 2026. He was born in New Britain, CT to Carrie and Ralph Clapp on May 14, 1930, and lived in New Britain through his graduation from high school. He was active in scouting, with an emphasis on hiking and camping, as well as in competitive drum and bugle corps, and was involved in drumming performances throughout school. Playing softball and ice hockey as a child led to a lifelong enjoyment of high-level fast-pitch softball and National Hockey League games.
Charlie graduated from Boston University in 1951 with a BSBA. He was a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi fraternity, and after college he attended Officer Candidate School and spent three years in the Navy — 1½ years on a destroyer in the Korean War and 1½ years in Saigon during the end of the French phase and the beginning of American involvement in Vietnam. This took Charlie around the world by sea and air. After his discharge, he worked in sales for Westinghouse Electric in Connecticut and moved into regional sales management for several manufacturing companies, which eventually led him to Dallas, TX.
He married Carol Nelson in 1959, and they had three children: Greg and Brad, born in Boston, and Cindee, born in Syracuse, NY, where Charlie was an active member of the Kiwanis Club. From Syracuse the family moved to Dallas, where they all got involved in soccer. Because children could play only if their parents participated in some capacity, Charlie became a soccer coach and referee. After his divorce from Carol, he moved to Salt Lake City in 1976, where he was instrumental in setting up a children’s soccer program that involved the children of his friends. He left the corporate world when he moved to Salt Lake, taking up the challenge of being an independent manufacturer’s agent and the enjoyment of skiing at Alta.
Charlie married Claris Powers in 1993. They shared a love of skiing, tennis, hiking, and looking for rock art, and they toured all around the western states — including Alaska — in their fifth-wheel trailer. He was an active member of the Utah Rock Art Research Association for many years. He enjoyed all kinds of music, but American jazz in particular. Charlie was involved in the Salt Lake City Jazz Society, promoting clinics and performances for kids and publicizing live jazz in the Salt Lake area. He was a volunteer usher for the Utah Symphony for many years, as well as for other performing arts at Abravanel Hall, the Capitol Theatre, and the Jeanné Wagner Theatre. He was an active member of the First Congregational Church in Salt Lake City.
Charlie was very proud of his three children, who all earned college degrees, and he treasured wonderful memories of his five grandchildren and one great grandson.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Claris Powers, who passed away on June 23, 2025, at the age of 94.
Survivors include his son Greg Clapp and his wife, Holly Clapp; Greg’s children, Kevin Clapp and Lauren Clapp, and Lauren’s son, Noah Dama; his son Brad Clapp and his wife, Lori Clapp, and their children, Meghan Marx, Ben Clapp, and Jackson Clapp; and his daughter Cindee Tonnesen and her husband, Steve Tonnesen.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday June 13 at 2p.m. at First Congregational Church, 1710 S. Foothill Dr., Salt Lake City UT 84108. Family and friends will gather afterward to welcome visitors. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Congregational Church Parish Nursing Program.
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