MIDDLEBURY — Claire grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, N.Y., in a one-bedroom apartment. An only child, she slept on a reclining chair in the living room, immersed in a large extended Orthodox Jewish immigrant family filled with love, as well as the occasional feud. Her first language was Yiddish; she didn’t learn English until she went to school. All her life she retained that deep sense of connection to family and friends, along with a distinctly New York way of standing up for herself.
She graduated from City College of New York with a business degree, and married Marty Gavrin in 1949. Marty dreamed of working in television, but they ended up in Ogdensburg, N.Y., working in radio until the television industry dropped its ban on hiring Jewish people in 1951. They returned to New York City, where they had two children, Bruce in 1952 and Marc in 1954. They eventually moved to Long Island, where Claire earned a master’s degree in education and taught third grade for decades. She was a proud member of her teacher’s union and the League of Women Voters.
The center of Claire’s life was family and friends. She was social to her core and immersed in life, ready to help. There was always a book group or Mahjong game, a wedding, bar mitzvah, funeral or some social gathering. As the children grew older, Claire and Marty traveled every summer, exploring Europe, India, China (in 1980!) and Africa. She was spirited and fun and she loved to dance. At age 88 she fulfilled her dream of dancing the night away at a grandchild’s wedding.
Claire was predeceased by her husband, Marty. She leaves her son Bruce Gavrin (Pam Bellas) and their son Andre; her son Marc Werner-Gavrin (Jacquie Werner-Gavrin) and their children Anneka (Dan), Lizzie (Jake) and Ari (Marissa); and her great-grandchildren Ellis and Frankie.
Claire spent the last four years of her life at EastView in Middlebury, where she felt deeply loved and cared for by the compassionate and dedicated staff. She remained her spirited and loving self right up to the end of her 99 years and 11 months. ◊
