KLARA CALITRI

CORNWALL — Klara Calitri, (neé Feiner) of Cornwall, Vt., died Nov. 19, 2025, at the age of 103. Klara was born to Mary and Moritz Feiner in Vienna, Austria, in 1922. Klara and her family lived in Vienna until the invasion of 1938, when Moritz, who was Jewish, was arrested by the Gestapo. Klara and a friend (whose father had been arrested), went to the chief of police, and with convincing subterfuge, managed to get their fathers released. The Feiners emigrated to the United States in 1939, sponsored by a cousin, who as a child in Austria during World War I, had been saved by Klara’s grandfather.

Klara finished high school in the U.S., and in 1942, won a scholarship to Trinity College, in Burlington, Vt. That summer, she met the love of her life, Junius Calitri. When they married in 1943, Klara transferred to UVM to complete her bachelor’s degree — Trinity College would not allow married women to matriculate. Until the end of World War 2, they lived at Fort Ethan Allen, where Junius was a flight instructor for the Army Air Force. After the war, Klara earned a Master of Arts in Comparative Languages from Cornell University, and taught German at Columbia University and City College in New York.

In 1949, Klara and Junius settled in Putnam Valley, N.Y., where they raised three children. Klara taught French, German and Spanish in Putnam Valley Central School, where Junius was Principal, then Superintendent. Avid skiers, they bought a ski house at Mad River Glen in 1965 and visited Vermont year-round. Klara and Junius retired to Cornwall in 1980.

Klara was a noted artist. She worked in diverse media including ceramics, pastels, monotypes and oils, sometimes designing larger installations of murals and fountains. She created beautiful gardens wherever she lived. In Cornwall, Klara became part of Vermont’s thriving art community. She was also a member of the AAUW, especially attuned to the issues of women’s rights. Klara had many solo and group shows, which often highlighted environmental and social causes, including one in Middlebury themed around birds and pollinators that benefitted the Audubon Society. Her creations were displayed in galleries from Canada to California and made their way to Europe and Australia. President Clinton bought one of Klara’s bowls for the White House, and Senator Patrick Leahy had Klara’s work in his Senate office.

Klara’s beloved Junius passed away in 2012, after 69 years of marriage. Klara leaves behind a loving family — children, Ronald Calitri of New York City, Thea Calitri-Martin (Bruce) of North Pomfret, Vt., and Lisa Calitri, of Cornwall, Vt.; grandchildren Meredith Martin Mayhew (Pierce), of Lebanon, N.H., and Nicholas Martin (Emily) of Boston, Mass.; and great-grandchildren Gabriella, Giuliana and Lucas.

The family is planning a celebration of life in the sunshine of 2026. ◊