Philip Clay Hartzog

Philip Clay Hartzog (December 30, 1948-May 24, 2021)

Philip Clay Hartzog was born in West Jefferson, North Carolina on December 30, 1948.  He was the oldest son of Earl Hartzog and Mary Miller.  He was very close to his brother, Kenny.  From the stories Clay told us, they enjoyed playing outdoors together and getting into mischief.

Clay joined the army after graduating from Appalachian State University.  His last assignment was at Ft. McNair in Washington.  He remained in the Washington area, where he met Carole.  They married in 1977 and relocated to Annandale.  They had one daughter, Sabrina, who was the apple of his eye.

He worked at several retail furniture stores before becoming a manufacturer’s representative.  He thoroughly enjoyed this new career because of his love of adventure —traveling and meeting new people were the highlights of the job for Clay.  He retired in 2017 and was looking forward to spending quality time with family and friends here and in North Carolina, and going fishing as often as his health allowed.

Clay loved life.  He enjoyed good food, drink, parties, storytelling, and laughter.  In the early 90s, he even gladly volunteered to take his pre-teen daughter and three of her friends to their first New Kids concert.  He regaled us with some great stories when he returned home!  Clay enjoyed rides in the country to spot a good fishing hole or find the perfect ridge to go hunting in the fall.  His outlook on life exemplified his glass half full attitude and untiring sprit.

Clay always had an opinion about everything, and those opinions were punctuated by a dash of humor or sarcasm depending on the circumstance.  There was never any doubt about where he stood on any issue, particularly football.

From the very first time he met you, Clay took an interest in you, no matter who you were.  He was also kind, generous, and compassionate.  He was always ready to help any family member or friend who needed his support.

After declining health and multiple hospital stays, Clay died on May 24, 2021.  There’s a saying that some love is for a reason, for a season or for a lifetime.  How fortunate we are that Clay’s love was a lifetime of blessings and memories.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Nativity Catholic Church, 6400 Nativity Ln., Burke, VA 22015 on Monday, June 7th, 2021 at 10:00 am. A private family reception will follow. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in Clay's honor may be made to electronically through Nativity Catholic Church's website:

NativityBurke.org   You can click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. You do NOT need to create an account to donate. Just click on the 'QUICK GIVE' option and enter your information. Under the Gift Information Tab, choose 'STELLA MARINA' from the drop-down menu.

Clay was so proud of Carole's and Sabrina's volunteer activities with Stella Marina. This organization was founded in 2014, to help provide training and birthing kits to midwives in Haiti.

To learn more about this organization, visit: Stella Marina, an Operation Starfish Project through Nativity Catholic Church. 

 Donations may also be made by check, payable to "Stella Marina" and mailed to:

 Nativity Catholic Church

 6400 Nativity Lane

 Burke, VA  22015

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