I just received word from Clay Floyds sister that he passed away this morning, Clay was the authority on all things Rainbow and was the best vacuum repairman I ever saw, he was one of the original group of collectors I met in the 90s, He will be missed .
Clay Floyd has died
- Thread starter kenkart
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kenkart
Hans,
So sorry to hear this! May Clay rest in peace now!
~Ben
Hans,
So sorry to hear this! May Clay rest in peace now!
~Ben
Such a shame! I'm real sorry to hear. My thoughts go out to his friends and family.
My condolences.
although I never met him, I 've heard so much about him.
Was he also a member of The V.C.C.C. at some point?
This is a horrible way to start a new year.
Rest in Peace, Clay.
John
although I never met him, I 've heard so much about him.
Was he also a member of The V.C.C.C. at some point?
This is a horrible way to start a new year.
Rest in Peace, Clay.
John
ultralux88
Well-known member
I met Clay back in 2004 at the VCCC convention in Itasca Illinois. I remember having a long conversation about Bison and his experience. I learned a lot about Bisons and Rainbows from him. I always enjoyed talking to him, we always had a good laugh and interesting conversation, he will be missed.
mpbyrd
Well-known member
This truly breaks my heart...
Clay was the first person to teach me about some of the mechanics of vacuums and gave me my first Hoover Concept one when he had his store in Lenoir years ago. He was one of the most kind hearted knowledgeable people I know. When he closed his store and left town is was hard to get used to not going to see him in my routine visits to his store. Rest In Peace Clay. You will truly be missed.
-Payton
Clay was the first person to teach me about some of the mechanics of vacuums and gave me my first Hoover Concept one when he had his store in Lenoir years ago. He was one of the most kind hearted knowledgeable people I know. When he closed his store and left town is was hard to get used to not going to see him in my routine visits to his store. Rest In Peace Clay. You will truly be missed.
-Payton
vacuumdevil
Well-known member
That's really sad. rest in peace clay!
Clay was
One of the most intelligent people I ever knew, Clay was one of those people who most either loved or hated,He was BRUTALLY honest, many couldn't handle it, but one thing is for sure, he told it like it was in no uncertain terms, sometimes he might have gotten it a little wrong, but one thing for sure, you knew where you stood, and NO ONE I ever met , knew more about old vacuums.
One of the most intelligent people I ever knew, Clay was one of those people who most either loved or hated,He was BRUTALLY honest, many couldn't handle it, but one thing is for sure, he told it like it was in no uncertain terms, sometimes he might have gotten it a little wrong, but one thing for sure, you knew where you stood, and NO ONE I ever met , knew more about old vacuums.
rugsucker
Well-known member
Clay Floyd
Very sad.I met Clay at the first VCCC meeting I attended.Later I helped unload the truck when he first moved from Denver to NC and also helped move to a 2nd location and then as he moved to SC.He was very generous with 2 rare vacs I wanted and extra parts I needed for this.In addition to vac knowledge he had some great stories of the characters at Rainbow & Kirby offices as well as Dog the Bounty Hunter who he met in the Bison days.He was also a car guy with fond memories of DeSotos and a cat lover.RIP
Very sad.I met Clay at the first VCCC meeting I attended.Later I helped unload the truck when he first moved from Denver to NC and also helped move to a 2nd location and then as he moved to SC.He was very generous with 2 rare vacs I wanted and extra parts I needed for this.In addition to vac knowledge he had some great stories of the characters at Rainbow & Kirby offices as well as Dog the Bounty Hunter who he met in the Bison days.He was also a car guy with fond memories of DeSotos and a cat lover.RIP
ultralux88
Well-known member
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some people pass away, and there's so much to say about
It's great when a person dies, and everyone tells how kind he was, how respectful he was, never making a nasty, biting, bitter, prejudice comment about anyone. Not making racial slurs, ethnic slams, etc.
I hope that's what's being said about Clay by those who knew him best.
Let's hope the same can be said about all of us. Right?
It's great when a person dies, and everyone tells how kind he was, how respectful he was, never making a nasty, biting, bitter, prejudice comment about anyone. Not making racial slurs, ethnic slams, etc.
I hope that's what's being said about Clay by those who knew him best.
Let's hope the same can be said about all of us. Right?
ultralux88
Well-known member
No one is perfect, and some might not appreciate his humor,
But there wasn't an ounce of hatred in his heart, one could never say he was fake, he was very much a what you see is what you get kind of person. I appreciated his honesty about things. I enjoyed hearing his perspective on the history of the vacuum industry, how he felt about various vacuums based on working on them, and his crazy customer stories, and there were never a shortage of crazy stories! I usually ended up on the phone with him for at least an hour...
But there wasn't an ounce of hatred in his heart, one could never say he was fake, he was very much a what you see is what you get kind of person. I appreciated his honesty about things. I enjoyed hearing his perspective on the history of the vacuum industry, how he felt about various vacuums based on working on them, and his crazy customer stories, and there were never a shortage of crazy stories! I usually ended up on the phone with him for at least an hour...
Oh Clay could definately tell off color jokes
And he was definitely not politically correct, What you saw and heard was what you got, BUT You got something most people never give you, TOTAL HONESTY, honesty in how he felt and honesty in all business dealings,He was the most honest, straight forward person I ever met, If he didn't like something you did, he told you, ! That kind of person is rare.
And he was definitely not politically correct, What you saw and heard was what you got, BUT You got something most people never give you, TOTAL HONESTY, honesty in how he felt and honesty in all business dealings,He was the most honest, straight forward person I ever met, If he didn't like something you did, he told you, ! That kind of person is rare.
ultralux88
Well-known member
Its the kind of person I'm trying to be, no point in sugar coating life or being fake-nice. And its how I'd prefer people be around me as well.
vacman1961
Well-known member
Rest in Peace Clay.
dysonman1
Well-known member
I first met Clay Floyd when I was one of only twelve members of the VCCC. Alex Taber had just 'reignited' the club after being dormant for a number of years. Clay drove from Denver to St. Louis. He picked me up and we drove to Naperville, Illinois (which is where Alex Taber lived - he hosted the Convention). Clay and I had each brought with us about 20 vintage cleaners that we donated to anyone who was in attendance. This was before the internet, ebay, vacland, etc. I wound up being best friends with Clay for the past 24 years.
Along the way, we attended ALL the VCCC conventions, Clay became a VCCC board member, and even hosted a Convention in North Carolina. That was the year I convinced Electrolux to let us (the VCCCC) into the factory and where I was given the Commemorative Edition Electrolux by the President of Electrolux.
By 2007, Clay and I (along with a good number of people) were no longer a part of the VCCC. It wasn't the same club as it was when we joined. Neither of us liked all the changed the new people brought to the club. So, we all started having our Convention (still in June) at various places around the country. Clay's home became one of those places - it was so popular we had 2 Conventions there. Of course, Today we hold the Conventions at the Vacuum Cleaner Museum in St. James, Missouri
I miss going to Clay's house in South Carolina. He had a Frigidaire Flair range, which I very much enjoyed cooking on for the group. I brought him a Sunbeam Mixmaster so I could bake for everyone while I was there. His house was kind of a shrine to the Rexair as that was his favorite machine of all times.
I spoke to Clay very recently, to wish him a Happy Kwanzaa, but he didn't sound the same. That's the shame about stokes, you never really recover.
As the executor of his will, it's my job to help clean out the house. He had maybe 40 vacuums in the house that were very dear to him. They all had a sentimental value (his mother's Hoover 634 for example). Those machines will come live in the Vacuum Museum (along with Stan Kann's collection, which is now all here at the Museum) and will be enjoyed by the public. My upcoming 'last' trip to his home in SC will be a very bittersweet one.
I really loved that man. I loved his off color jokes, I loved his stories of horrible customers at his vac shop over the years (there are ALWAYS bad customers in any business). I loved his responses to people who were wrong. He made liberal use of the "C" word if you made him angry. He could string cuss words into sentences - I learned so much from him.
But most of all, he loved Rexair and the Rainbow. He always made me promise to suck up his ashes into a Rexair at a VCCC convention. The VCCC is long gone, and the ashes would just blow out the exhaust anyway. He taught me everything I know about working on Rexairs, and I continue to make money with what he taught me.
Rest in Peace my friend. Those of us who knew you, really miss you.
Along the way, we attended ALL the VCCC conventions, Clay became a VCCC board member, and even hosted a Convention in North Carolina. That was the year I convinced Electrolux to let us (the VCCCC) into the factory and where I was given the Commemorative Edition Electrolux by the President of Electrolux.
By 2007, Clay and I (along with a good number of people) were no longer a part of the VCCC. It wasn't the same club as it was when we joined. Neither of us liked all the changed the new people brought to the club. So, we all started having our Convention (still in June) at various places around the country. Clay's home became one of those places - it was so popular we had 2 Conventions there. Of course, Today we hold the Conventions at the Vacuum Cleaner Museum in St. James, Missouri
I miss going to Clay's house in South Carolina. He had a Frigidaire Flair range, which I very much enjoyed cooking on for the group. I brought him a Sunbeam Mixmaster so I could bake for everyone while I was there. His house was kind of a shrine to the Rexair as that was his favorite machine of all times.
I spoke to Clay very recently, to wish him a Happy Kwanzaa, but he didn't sound the same. That's the shame about stokes, you never really recover.
As the executor of his will, it's my job to help clean out the house. He had maybe 40 vacuums in the house that were very dear to him. They all had a sentimental value (his mother's Hoover 634 for example). Those machines will come live in the Vacuum Museum (along with Stan Kann's collection, which is now all here at the Museum) and will be enjoyed by the public. My upcoming 'last' trip to his home in SC will be a very bittersweet one.
I really loved that man. I loved his off color jokes, I loved his stories of horrible customers at his vac shop over the years (there are ALWAYS bad customers in any business). I loved his responses to people who were wrong. He made liberal use of the "C" word if you made him angry. He could string cuss words into sentences - I learned so much from him.
But most of all, he loved Rexair and the Rainbow. He always made me promise to suck up his ashes into a Rexair at a VCCC convention. The VCCC is long gone, and the ashes would just blow out the exhaust anyway. He taught me everything I know about working on Rexairs, and I continue to make money with what he taught me.
Rest in Peace my friend. Those of us who knew you, really miss you.
AMEN
Tom, You, Clay,and several others were the first friends I made in the VCCC when I joined in 94, and I'm still friends with the ones still living from then, I hope we can come down and help you at Clays, you have always been there for me down thru the years, I need to call Billy Lippman and Roger Proehl and tell them about Clay , they are two more we knew from the old days when we had so much fun.
Tom, You, Clay,and several others were the first friends I made in the VCCC when I joined in 94, and I'm still friends with the ones still living from then, I hope we can come down and help you at Clays, you have always been there for me down thru the years, I need to call Billy Lippman and Roger Proehl and tell them about Clay , they are two more we knew from the old days when we had so much fun.
vacerator
Well-known member
the Luncheonette
video was not quite Pink Flamingo's, but close. Girl can't help it. Buy her a drink.
video was not quite Pink Flamingo's, but close. Girl can't help it. Buy her a drink.
I'll be sure to add his name
to our "In Memoriam" book. It is a book belonging to The V.C.C.C. listing those members, and former members who have died.
The V.C.C.C. is still very much alive, and, this book will be on display at our next convention this summer.
I'll be happy to add his name. Those who knew him will be pleased.
to our "In Memoriam" book. It is a book belonging to The V.C.C.C. listing those members, and former members who have died.
The V.C.C.C. is still very much alive, and, this book will be on display at our next convention this summer.
I'll be happy to add his name. Those who knew him will be pleased.
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