Iva Mae Clisby

IVA MAE PATON CLISBY

20 February 1933 – 1 July 2019

Iva Mae Paton Clisby passed away the morning of July 1, 2019, surrounded by her family, at age 86. Born to Wilbur and Myrtle Paton in Neche, North Dakota on February 20, 1933, Iva Mae grew up on the family farm helping her mother in the kitchen, driving the field truck at age 10 and playing with her pet raccoon. During the school year, she rode her horse, Betsy, to meet up with her Johnson cousins, and they would trot off to the one-room schoolhouse together in Park Center. Though she was an only child, her Aunt Annie and Uncle Russell always included her as part of the Johnson kids.

In her early teen years, Iva Mae’s parents began to divide their time between North Dakota and California. The Patons would live and work on the Neche farm all summer and fall until the first snowflake fell, then Wilbur would pack up the family and head to their home in Long Beach, California. In this growing seaside town, Iva Mae attended Hamilton Middle School and graduated from Poly High School in 1951. She was proud to be a Jackrabbit and years later would quote Poly’s motto: “Go forth and serve”, a philosophy she took literally as a lifelong party hostess.

Iva Mae enjoyed exploring Long Beach and Southern California during its’ heyday. She and her girlfriends would spend days at The Pike Midway, Palm Springs, Rainbow Pier, and on the beach. Iva Mae volunteered at the ‘Y’ helping to organize social events for sailors from the nearby Navy Base. There, she made lifelong friends and met her future husband, Robert (Bob) Clisby, Jr.

Bob and Iva married in 1957 and made their home in Long Beach where they raised their children – Robert, born in 1962, and daughter, Heather, born and adopted in 1965. In 1963, they purchased the home on Montair Ave where Iva lived until four months before her passing, when she moved to Katella Senior Living in Los Alamitos.

When Iva grew up on the farm, she would play ‘office’ and dream of becoming a real secretary. She got her wish at Proctor & Gamble where she worked for 11 years in the office of the president. Iva then worked with her husband, Bob, as a secretary for his growing insurance business. After their divorce in 1977, Iva went back to school, earning an Associates degree at Long Beach City College. She then became the personal secretary to President George Talin at Talin Tire. After several years there, she took a secretarial job at Parkhouse Tire. In this role, she not only kept the all-male sales team organized, she kept them fed with her famous snack offerings. Reluctantly, she retired from Parkhouse at age 80 with much fanfare and gratitude from her co-workers.

In her retirement, she continued to host her famous parties and took seriously the art of fun. In February 1983, she had joined a singles social group called Life Begins at 40 and immediately became the Membership Chairman, a position she held until she was 85. At its peak, the club had 400+ members and Iva hosted many of the clubs’ parties in her home, which contained a 1953 jukebox, pool table, hot tub and a specially made dance floor. Later, members changed the club name to Young at Heart Singles once they realized their kids were in their 40s. Her annual Superbowl Party was famously booked up and a big hit, no matter which team won.

Iva enjoyed time with her family, including her son, Robert, daughter-in-law, MaryAnn, and grandson, Robbie, who would often visit from their home in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Her daughter, Heather, stayed close, living part-time in Twentynine Palms and was often on hand to help with the parties.

In the last few years of her life, Iva Mae enjoyed “piddling” in her backyard (which included a hummingbird nursery), perusing Facebook, and time with her beloved dog, Sweetpea, a rescued poodle mix that became her steady companion and best friend. She is survived by her son, Robert Clisby; daughter-in-law, Mary Ann Clisby; daughter, Heather Clisby, and grandson, Robert Moran Clisby. Iva Mae was a beloved mother, grandmother, cousin, friend and hostess and she will be terribly missed. Heaven will surely have plenty of music, wine, and appetizers forevermore.

Luyben Dilday Mortuary (562) 425-6401