He was just like any other clown. Except for the fact that Floyd "Creeky" Creekmore was the oldest in business. And now his business as a clown has ended after succumbing to complications from heart disease.
According to reports, Creeky was hospitalized last month because of an intestinal infection. He was discharged after a week but never fully recovered. He died Sept. 27 in his home in Billings, Montana.
His trademark was a multicolored jacket, an orange wig, and a yellow hat. Of course, he also had the staple red rubber nose and a couple of tricks up his sleeves. He became a member of the Shrine Circus in 1981 but has been polishing his routines since he was introduced to clowning in the 1930s. Creeky was also very good at what he did, winning clowning competitions all over the country.
To share in his passion, Creeky tried to get his family members involved in clowning. Unfortunately, only his grandson McCraw took him upon the offer. Clowning since he was 10 years old, McCraw would pair up with Creeky later on to visit children in hospitals.
In 2012, Creeky was recognized by Guinness as the oldest performing clown in the world. This was also the year that he stopped performing. After Betty, his wife of 74 years died, Creeky never put on his clown suit to perform professionally, only attending clown meetings for the Shrine Circus.
Before he lost Betty, Creeky would gear up every time the Shrine Circus comes through Billings. He suffered a stroke several years ago so he had to give up juggling. His right hand has become shaky too so when it sends a line of his makeup askew, Creeky just adapts and makes the other side crooked as well.
His last ever trick was done for a friend's 90th birthday party in July. He had a woman tie two scarves together and told the crowd that he would be stuffing the scarves in the woman's blouse. When two men each grabbed an end of a scarf and pulled, the woman's bra popped out. This, of course, left the audience quite amused and the woman slightly embarrassed.
In that moment, Creeky came alive. His son Dave said he had a sparkle in his eye, a dip in his step.
"A lot of people go clear through life and are never really passionate about something. Boy, he had the passion. He jumped into that with both feet," Dave adds.
