|PIC1|Clokey was also known as Ruth Clokey Goodell and Ruth Clokey. She was given story editor credit as Ruth Goodell on episodes of "The Gumby Show." Clokey was married to Art Clokey, and both were responsible for the stop-motion animation production of Davey and Goliath -- now a property of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
"Ruth Clokey was a woman ahead of her time. She was the creative genius behind Davey and Goliath and served as the producer for many of the episodes aired on network television under the sponsorship of the former United Lutheran Church in America," said Kristi Bangert, executive director, ELCA Communication Services.
"Ruth was uniquely positioned to drive this 'first' in children's faith-based television programming. She was the daughter of a Lutheran pastor and an active member of the church. She was also a successful television producer who saw an opportunity for the United Lutheran Church to move boldly into the world of public media and provide groundbreaking children's programming. As a result, Davey and Goliath became the first and, to this day, only children's television series to be sponsored and championed by a denomination," said Bangert.
Richard T. Sutcliffe, creator and executive producer of Davey and Goliath, chose Ruth and Art Clokey to produce the children's program. Following her divorce from Art Clokey in 1966, Ruth continued to produce Davey and Goliath from 1967 to the mid-1970s. In 1969, the Lutheran church asked Premavision - the Clokey's production studio - to create a run of 15-minute episodes of the program with Ruth supervising production.
"I remember (Davey and Goliath) was a lot of work," said Ruth Clokey in a 1996 interview. "I think, of all the things that I have done in my life, I am most proud of Davey and Goliath. We
were really doing something to help the children of our country and of the world," she said. "I am really proud of that. This show had a message. It wasn't just junk."
Clokey was born in Hallock, Minn. In 1944 she graduated from Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill. - one of 28 college and universities of the ELCA. After graduation, she moved to New York City and created religious education programs on behalf of the Lutheran Church.
Clokey earned a master's degree in religious education at Hartford Seminary, Hartford, Conn., and met Art Clokey there. The two married in 1948 and moved to Hollywood to make religious films. She was a member of the Audubon Society, the Sierra Club and the Humane Society.
Clokey is survived by a son, Joe Clokey, and three grandchildren. Joe produced a Davey and Goliath comeback special, "Davey and Goliath's Snowboard Christmas," in 2004. Her daughter, Ann Clokey, died in 1974.
EDITORS NOTE:
Davey and Goliath airs on the Australian Christian Channel in January at 4.00pm on Tuesday and repeats 7.00am on Wednesday and Saturday at 8.30am.
Source: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America