Clara May Turner Ayres
1907-2007
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Go to Photo Gallery to see photos from Clara May's life. | |
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Read excerpts from Clara May's book of poems and essays, Just Clara May |
Clara
May Turner Ayres died peacefully in her sleep in Port Orchard, Washington
on September 13, 2007 at the age of 100. She was born on June 28, 1907
in Manila, Philippine Islands. Her parents were among the first American
schoolteachers who arrived in the Philippines after the Spanish-American
war, and Clara May and her two brothers spent much of their childhood
in the islands.
She graduated from the University of Washington and Johns Hopkins School
of Nursing, and worked for many years as a nurse. Her husband's career
as a professor of mathematics and his tours in the U.S. Naval Reserve
took the family to various locations around the United States, including
Annapolis, Maryland and Monterey, California.
Clara May is survived by daughters Betty Jesch of Port Orchard and Evelyn
Starr of Monterey, California, in addition to five grandchildren and 12
great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Horace
C. Ayres, in 1975 and her son, Horace C. Ayres, Jr., in 1981.
She will be remembered for her optimism, enthusiasm and lifelong interest
in learning. After retiring from her nursing career, she opened an antique
store on Whidbey Island in Washington state. Her other activities included
learning to play various musical instruments and writing short stories
and poems, including this poem from her limited-printing book "Just Clara
May":
| When I write or read
some poetry My spirits rise so high and depression flies away. I hope that heaven is full of poets That I can sit close to, and listen While all eternity flies by. |
The following poem dedicated
to Clara May was written by her granddaughter, Sue Bennett:
Clara May AyresClara May, so special she was |
The family would like to thank
the staff of Ridgemont Terrace Skilled Nursing Facility and the Hospice
of Kitsap County for the many months of comfort and support they provided
to Clara May.
If you would like to write a tribute or share your thoughts about Clara
May, or read tributes that others have written, please go to the Rill
Chapel's Life Tribute Center web page and click on the Guest Book
icon or View Tributes icon.
A memorial gathering of family
and friends will be held in December. Please contact Betty Jesch or Evelyn
Starr for details.
Clara May's daughters can be contacted at
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