Obituary of Clifford B. Cloonan

Clifford B. Cloonan, 83, of Los Osos, passed away Monday, July 2, 2012, at Sierra Vista Hospital with his wife and daughter sitting vigil. Clifford was born in August 1928, in Chugwater, Wyo., the fifth son of eight boys born to Clifford Brokaw and Jesse Fern (Dowler) Cloonan. Clifford and Ann Jean met in Agate, Colo., where his family lived and she was teaching. They married at 22 in March 1951, and were married 61 years. Cliff enlisted in the U.S. Army on his 17th birthday in the Army Specialized Training Reserve Program. He was also drafted for the Korean War, where he was an instructor of cryptography at Camp San Luis Obispo, and later served in the Air National Guard. Cliff earned his B.S. degree from University of Colorado at Boulder, where he belonged to Phi Kappa Phi; his M.S. from Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont., where he belonged to The Society of the Sigma Xi; and his Ph.D. from Colorado State University at Boulder. He worked at Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, before joining the faculty of the Electronic Engineering Department at Cal Poly in 1957, where he worked until he retired in 1990 as Professor Emeritus. Cliff was a member of El Morro Nazarene Church, Gideons, IEEE, MENSA and Amateur Radio Relay League (W6UAA). He was an avid bowler, and later researched his family genealogy. Cliff is survived by his loving wife, Ann Jean (Worstell) Cloonan; son, Clifford C. Cloonan (Ok Cha); daughter, Alison Cloonan; son, Kevin Cloonan (Jennifer); six grandchildren Cami White (Jeremy), William Cloonan, Mark Jacob Morrison, Crystal Herman (Scott), Jesse Cloonan and Molly Ann Cloonan; and sister-in-law, Catherine Anglen. He was preceded in death by his parents and seven brothers. Cliff''s memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 8, 2012, at El Moro Nazarene Church, 1480 Santa Ysabel in Los Osos, followed by a reception. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cal Poly Amateur Radio Club www.w6bhz.org