Elmer Clay Jorgensen

April 29, 1937 - December 3, 2011

Elmer Clay Jorgensen died on December 3, 2011 after a long period of ill health. He was born on April 29, 1937 in Roosevelt Utah to William Elmer Jorgensen and Yvonne Smith Jorgensen. During his life, he lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, until the family moved to Washington, first to Moses Lake, then to Sunny side, finally settling in Richland, Washington. He graduated from Columbia High School in Richland. He entered college at BYU in 1955. His college pursuits were put on hold at the end of his junior year while he served a mission for his church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in the Spanish American Mission. He then returned to his studies at Brigham Young University where he completed his Bachelor's, Master's and PhD. Degrees in Clinical Psychology. He married Doris Elaine Johnson in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on January 13, 1961. He is survived by his wife Doris; children Elmer Clay Jorgensen (Sarah) Jr., Layne Stuart Jorgensen (Leanne), Julia Denise Rogers(Jay), and Sheila May Graham (Leland); twelve grandchildren and four step-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter Rhonda Jorgensen, and his first grandchild, Layne Jr. His professional life included teaching for a time at Eastern Washington University, serving as Director of Child & Family Services at Spokane Mental Health Center for many years and in private practice as a Clinical Psychologist in family matters, and finished his career in part time forensic work for the Spokane Public Defenders, Grant County Public Defenders, and in Benton County. He finally fully retired in 2010. He authored two books. His hobbies included spoiling his grandchildren, followed by fishing, ceramics, and water color painting. His funeral will be at the Cheney LDS Church at 2536 N 6th in Cheney Washington on Wednesday, December 7 at 11:00 a.m. followed by burial at the Fairview Cemetery on Salnave Road in Cheney.