Article contributed by Kathy Buttram

Clay Myer, the Centre resident who was president of the Alabama Rural Letter Carriers Association, died suddenly Thursday night at his home. He was 54.

Myer had been re-elected president a week earlier at the group’s annual convention in Huntsville. It would have been his third term.

A resident of Centre, Myer loved the people on his mail route, his wife, Kelly, said Friday.

“And they loved him,” she said. “There was this special little lady in her 90s who lived by herself, and Clay would help her with whatever needed to be done. He started taking her groceries because her son had died. Clay said she didn’t have anyone else.”

Myer was also a strong advocate for the letter carriers. He regularly lobbied U.S. senators and representatives in Washington to improve and expand postal service.

“He was one of those people who just shined,” said Ronnie Stutts, vice president of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association.

“He was as fine a person as you would ever want to be around. He was a dedicated family man and he did a great job when he visited with members of Congress on our behalf,” Stutts said. “I just talked to him yesterday, and I saw him last week. He was doing his usual fantastic job.”

Thereasa Hulgan, who is executive director of the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce, grew up with Myer and his brother, Lyle, in Sand Rock. They were cousins and often met at their grandmother’s house.

“Clay and Lyle would stack books or catalogues in the pickup truck to sit on so they could see over the steering wheel to drive. They were probably 8 or 9, and they drove to grandmother’s house,” she said.

Myer was a man of faith, his wife said.

“He loved his church, Believers Fellowship, and he was very dedicated,” she said.

Myer also lived his faith. He would help anyone in need and often called his pastor to ask him to pray for others, Kelly Myer said.

Myer is survived by his wife, Kelly, and brother, Lyle, and nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers are: Tommy Green, Carl McDuff, Wayne Day, Johnny Miller, Randy Shaw, Connie O’Bryan, Joey Hunter, Ricky Witt, Dean Buttram Jr. and Larry Young.

Honorary pallbearers are the Alabama Rural Letter Carriers Association.

The funeral will be Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at Perry Funeral Home in Centre with burial in Welcome Hill Cemetery. The Rev. Keith Day and the Rev. Clayton Robertson will officiate. Visitation will be from 1 p.m.-4 p.m.