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Obituary for Felix Gomez Claveran
Felix Claveran, age 81, died in his sleep on Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at his home at Sea View Senior Living in Brookings, Oregon. He was born Nov. 11, 1933 in Vanadium, New Mexico. He grew up in Stockton, CA. He was very young when he fell in love with the game of golf. At 9 years old he was already playing and caddying at the fairgrounds in Stockton. He won the very first tournament he entered, the Stockton City Championship, at age 13. He shot 63 in the final round. He won that tournament 3 times. He still holds the course record at Swenson Park Golf Course in Stockton, CA. In 4 years of High School he was undefeated and won the CIF championships twice. He was also undefeated while playing at Stockton College for two years. As a professional golfer he was undefeated for 9 years in Northern California pro-am tournaments. Felix and his friend Ernie Ramirez, when they were about 15, hitchhiked to Pebble Beach where he caddied for Ben Hogan and earned $5. He later caddied for both Bing Crosby & Bob Hope and earned $20. Felix won too many amateur events to list them all, but some of his favorites were when he took 2nd Place at the All Army in Berlin against great competition. He served as a sergeant, training troops, in the Army where he played in the All Army Tournament defeating Orville Moody. When he transferred to Colorado Springs, he played in the Patti Juit Classic. He shot an opening round 63. The officials on the 2nd day put an official on him to watch him play. He shot 68 and won the tournament in a landslide, beating US Open Champion Orville Moody, and good friend, by 18 shots. After he left the Army he attended Fresno State on a golf scholarship and the GI bill and then went to work at Swenson Park. He then turned pro. His first Head Pro position was at Benbow Golf Course in Garberville, CA. He was there a couple years before taking his 2nd Head Pro position in 1962 at Beau Pre Golf Course in McKinleyville, CA till 1972, when he moved to Weaverville to fulfill his lifelong dream of owning his own golf course, thanks to the generosity of Vic & Maxine Rose. Vic & Maxine donated the land so that their community could have a golf course. Through the support of the community, Felix was able to build the Trinity Alps Golf Course. These were the happiest days of his life, until the death of his wife Elisabeth. Felix took a golfing vacation every year with his family and took 80 of his closest friends with him. His club members were his friends. He cherished those memories every day. He was there for 26 years before moving to Brookings, Ore. in 1999 to build, with his daughter Lorraine, brother Raymond & his sons Troy and Ray Jr., a golf course there they would call Salmon Run Golf Course. This was a family project. It brought him great joy to do this with his family. He took pride in knowing the family brought a golf course to the Brookings community. The Claverans are a family of golfers. Felix’s wife and daughter both play golf. In a ladies pro-am at Riverview Golf & Country Club in Redding, Felix, wife Liz, daughter Lorraine, Maxine Rose and Bonnie Cantrall shot a 42 under round in a 5 man 2 best ball Pro Am and beat the field by 20 strokes. His grandson Jay was team captain on UC Berkeley’s team for 3 years. Graduating from Berkeley, Jay is now the director of Golf at Tuscan Ridge and lives with his wife and 5 kids in Magalia, CA. His other grandson, Jayme, shot the course record at Bandon Dunes in a high school tournament with a back nine of 27 for a world record. Jayme was in a tragic car accident in 2008. He sustained a traumatic brain injury in that accident. Jayme is currently still recovering from injuries sustained in that accident. Felix had 3 dreams: 1) to be a PGA Class A golf professional, 2) to own his own golf course and 3) to be a tour player. He was able to fulfill 2 of his lifelong dreams. A Trinity County resident until 1999, he left his mark on the community as the builder of the Trinity Alps Golf Course in 1973. He loved this community and his fondest memories are those he spent in Weaverville. He made great lifelong friends and he missed being there. He was a very generous man. He reached and touched so many people He enjoyed making people laugh and always wanted them to have a good time when coming into his business. He is survived by his daughter Lorraine Berkowitz, brothers Ray Claveran and Gilbert Claveran, sisters Delores Gilcrest and Linda Burrell, many nieces and nephews and 2 grandsons and 5 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his beloved Wife Elisabeth, brother David Burrell, sister Terry and mother Rose. Services will be held Saturday May 9th at 2 p.m. at the Salmon Run Golf Course. Lunch and refreshments to follow.
