James Stephie Clawson, 75, Jeffersonville, peacefully passed away January 15, 2026, at Copper Knoll Health and Rehabilitation in Washington Court House. He was born April 24, 1950, in Springfield, Ohio.
Jim grew up on the family farm in South Solon and graduated from Madison South High School in 1968, playing football and basketball. He was FFA President and earned his FFA State Farmer degree. Continuing his education while working three jobs, he graduated in 1973 with a BS in agricultural education from Wilmington College, where he was a member of the Janizaries fraternity. He started grad school at The Ohio State University before seizing the opportunity to farm. For six years he served in the Army National Guard. On March 16,1974, he married Sandi Bush.
Jim was active in his Jeffersonville community. For many years he served on the volunteer fire department as well as the area’s first volunteer life squad. He was a member of the local Lions Club, Farm Bureau, the Jeffersonville United Methodist Church, serving on various committees, and most recently the South Solon United Methodist Church. Always an advocate for education, he was a school board member with the Southern Ohio Educational Service Center for seventeen years. Decades of summers would find him playing softball, pitching for the church league or for Madison Seed. And though inseparable from his farm machinery during peak times, he never missed attending a home sporting event, concert, or performance of his children.
An outdoorsman, Jim loved farming, fishing on the Georgian Bay, pheasant hunting in South Dakota, and wintering in Florida. He enjoyed camping and traveling. Highlights include visiting Scotland for his son Jimmy l s postgraduate graduation, accepting an invitation from daughter Jackie to help build a Habitat for Humanity home in Argentina, and seeing daughter Jomi when her overseas studies took her to Ireland They attended weddings of their AFS exchange students in Italy (Matt) and Panama (Geny), but Covid canceled wedding travel to Hungary (Robbie). Jim loved tinkering in his workshop or with his old vehicles. He really enjoyed keeping busy, and only the ringing of the loud dinner bell could finally bring him indoors.
Survivors include Sandi, his wife of 51 years; daughter Dr. Jackie (Shawn) Robinson, South Solon; son Dr. James Clawson, Chicago; daughter Jomi (Shaun) Goodbar, Wilmington; wonderful grandkids Colby and Corrine Goodbar; brother Joe (Cathy) Clawson, Liberty Hill, Texas; sisters-in-law Susan Neuhart, Lexington, KY, and Sharon Eberle, Dublin, and several nieces and nephews. Special lap-hugging schnauzers Mocha and Pepper already miss him greatly. Parents Joe and Mary Knasel Clawson, sister Connie, and in-laws Charles and Mary Bush predeceased him.
Many thanks to the staff at Copper Knoll Health and Rehabilitation and Ohio Hospice.
Calling hours will be held at Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Washington Court House on Sunday, January 25 from 2:00 to 4:00 with a service to follow. A private memorial service to bury his cremains will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim’s name to Madison-Plains Scholarship Foundation, 12460 Fralick Road, London, OH 43140.
www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com
