Clifton Floyd Darby
d. February 6, 2025
Clifton Floyd Darby, 77, of Catonsville, passed away suddenly on February 6, 2025. He was born November 22, 1947 in Corpus Christi, Texas to Clifton W. and Margie Floyd Darby.
Clif was a brilliant software engineer, and proudly worked on the Hubble Space Telescope from 1993 until his death. He attended both the University of Maryland and the University of Texas. While at UT, he was a member of the Navy ROTC program and a trombone player in the Longhorn band.
Before working on the Hubble, Clif pursued many work assignments that took him overseas. He lived and worked in Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Italy. He loved to travel, and was just as happy crabbing on Assateague Island with his boys as he was hiking through Thailand.
He lived his life to the fullest, from riding motorcycles to diving shipwrecks to earning a black belt in tae kwon do. For the past twenty years, Clif has been a beekeeper, and has been dedicated to supporting pollinators in our environment. He was a member of both the Maryland State Beekeepers Association and the Howard County Beekeepers Association, and served as HCBA president for two years.
Clif is preceded in death by his parents, Clifton W. and Margie Darby, and by his brother Harry Darby. He is survived by his wife Stephanie (Gonder), his sons Clifton William and George, siblings Rae and Donald, and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following charities in Clif’s honor:
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