Dr. James "Corky" Clesi Broughton

Dr. James Clesi Broughton passed away at his home in Murray, KY on February 18, 2026 surrounded by his family. Better known as Corky to friends and loved ones, his presence on this Earth for 71 years was truly a blessing to all who knew him. Born in Greenville, SC on December 26, 1954, his childhood was filled with love and laughter with his father, Jim, mother, Rose, and two older sisters, Vickie and Lynn. After moving to various locals as the son of an Armed Forces Master Sergeant, the family ended up settling in Due West, SC while Corky was still in high school. It was there that he met the love of his life, MaryAnne Ellison. The two married on August 20, 1977 after graduating from Lander University in Greenwood, SC. They then moved to Memphis, TN where Corky worked on his Master’s Degree in Therapeutic Recreation at the University of Memphis (later receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland). In 1989, the couple and their three young daughters, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Susan Clesi, traded big-city life for the much quieter town of Murray, KY. It was there that Corky began his long-term professorship at Murray State University. Not only did he share his passion for Therapeutic Recreation with countless numbers of students, he was faculty sponsor for both Hart and White Residential Colleges as well as various student groups and organizations. During his tenure at MSU, Corky was professor for and then chair of the Department of Recreation, eventually earning the title of Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services. He couldn’t go anywhere in Murray without running into current and former students and faculty – all of them receiving a handshake and warm smile - all of them greeted by name as he never forgot a face. When not spending quality time with his immediate family or attending college activities, you were sure to find Corky in a garage working on any one of his vintage-car restorations. His now fully restored 1934 Ford Sedan and 1964 Mercury Comet were two of his favorites. The Ford was a project he originally began with his own father and has been featured at various car shows. Corky founded the Comet Gathering that originally met in 2011 and still meets every June in Pigeon Forge, TN. He fully retired from Murray State in 2018 and was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a terminal neurological disorder, only months later. Corky was preceded in death by both of his parents, Jim and Rose Broughton. He leaves behind a number of friends and loved ones, including his wife of 48 years, MaryAnne Ellison Broughton; three daughters: Elizabeth Atherton (James), Sarah Winchel (Brett), and Susan Clesi Ballard (Tracy); five grandchildren: JB, Hudson, Lillian, Brooklyn, and Oakley; two sisters: Vickie Kluck (Hadrian) and Lynn Ashley (Rick); and several nieces and nephews. James “Corky” Broughton loved his family, loved his friends, and was dearly loved in return.
A celebration of life will take place at a later date. Those wishing to honor his memory may do so through personal reflection, by donating to the Hospice organization in your local community, and/or by helping to fund PSP research at CurePSP.org
Online condolences can be made at www.jhchurchill.com
The J.H. Churchill Funeral Home and Cremation Services are in charge of arrangements.