L. Arlene “Buddy” Clay (August 2, 1912 – February 11, 2016) was a symphony performer, volunteer plane spotter, air traffic controller and Alaskan judge.
She was born on August 2, 1912, in Gardiner, Maine, to Charles Gordon Palmer and Annie Mayne.
[2] During World War II, they moved to Seattle, Washington, and received training from the Civil Aeronautics Administration to become aircraft communicators and controllers which eventually landed them in Alaska.
In 1960, four years after the passing of her husband, Clay became one of the first women magistrates for the Alaska court system.
Neither Neakok nor Clay possessed a law degree, though it was not a requirement at the time to serve as a magistrate.