Mr. Clifton F. Gauss Jr.

Clifton F. Gauss Jr. , 76 , executive and counselor

Clifton F. Gauss Jr. , a former sales executive who had been head of a hospital food company , died Sunday of respiratory failure at North Arundel Hospital.The Locust Point resident was 76.

Mr. Gauss retired in the early 1980s as president of the now-defunct National Hospital Foods Inc. , supplier of special dietary foods to hospitals.

Earlier , he had worked for many years as regional field manager for Johnson & Johnson.

He had also served as northeast manager for P. Ballantine & Sons , general sales manager for the Ac'cent Division of International Mineral & Chemical Co. and held the same position with Booth Fisheries.

Born and raised on The Alameda , Mr. Gauss graduated in 1943 from City College.He enlisted in the Army and served as a medic with Gen.George Patton's Third Army in Europe until 1946.

He earned a bachelor's degree in English in 1950 from the University of Maryland , College Park.In his retirement , he earned a master's degree in psychology from the Johns Hopkins University in 1983.

He began a second career as a vocational counselor , working with the Veterans Administration and later with the state of Maryland , until retiring a second time in the 1990s.

His 1949 marriage to the former Mary Catherine Gibson ended in divorce.

He enjoyed golf and reading.He was a member of the Johns Hopkins Club.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. July 14 at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens , 200 E. Padonia Road , Timonium.

He is survived by a son , Clifton F. Gauss III of Richmond , Va. ; two daughters , Dr. Cynthia Gauss of Rockville and Sally Kannemeyer of Richmond , Va. ; and a special friend , Frances Stephens of Towson.

Mamie N. M. Burrell , 89 , Black & Decker manager