Elder Chuck Clifton is a convert of 50 years, having joined just two weeks before graduating from Arizona State University with a bachelor's in math. He then entered the U.S. Air Force and flew jets. He was second in his class, but was later medically grounded for life. Down, but not out, he drove 1,600 miles home to Arizona and in less than a week. Upon returning from USAF, he met Sister Joyce Ray. One year later, they were married in the Mesa, Arizona Temple in 1973. Today they have 10 children and 36 grandchildren.
Chuck has a master’s in computer science from BYU. He has just completed a 50-year career as a software engineer. Since most of his jobs were consulting in nature, he has held 45 jobs in those 50 years. Most of those jobs were in the aerospace industry.
Charles and Joyce have written about 14 books on various subjects, including parenting, digital photography, how to make pies, Lewis and Clark, and self-control.
In their spare time, they said they visit their children and their families as the 10 of them live in six different states. They also have done extensive work with photos, videos and stories of their families and ancestors. They said they love to host large parties of families and friends.
In February 2020, they sold their dream house of 25 years in Mapleton, Utah, so they could start serving missions, this being Charles's first. Then COVID-19 hit. But now they said they are thrilled to be serving at BYUH.
Elder and Sister Clifton are Hale Coordinators for Hale 1 and Hale 7 at BYUH. This calling consists of managing eight Resident Advisors across two hales that contain 234 female residents. They work around the clock to meet the needs of their residents and they have become attached to many of their residents. They have shed tears of joy and tears of sorrow with them. They invite them into their apartment, get to know them and they get to attend their campus events as often as possible. This includes watching them open their mission calls at the temple on Tuesdays, attending their weddings and receptions, attending their shows as they display their talents, giving priesthood blessings, nursing them when they are sick, teaching them how to live life and much more. They are affectionately known as Hale Parents and they consider it an honor to be so called. They love what they do in serving the Lord.