Obituary: Claire R. Marra, 90, Of Danbury And Ridgefield

Information and Photo Courtesy Jowdy-Kane Funeral Home

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Claire R. Marra, 90, of Danbury, a longtime resident of Ridgefield, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, December 1, 2022. She was the loving wife of the late Richard C. Marra and mother of eight children.

Claire was born in Queens, NY to the late James A. and Ann (Sullivan) McDonald.

Claire grew up in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens. She graduated as valedictorian from her high school. She received her BA in Mathematics from St. John’s University in New York City which she attended on a full academic scholarship. During those years, Claire worked at Macy’s Herald Square. She made treasured lifelong friends through her many social activities at college. While studying at St. John’s, she met Richard (Dick) Marra, a fellow math major. They married in 1953 at Immaculate Conception Church in Astoria.

Upon graduating from college, Claire was employed as a transistor tester at Bell Telephone Laboratories in NYC.

As their family grew, they moved in response to Dick’s career with IBM. First stop Walden, NY, then to Spring Valley, NY, and then settling in Ridgefield in 1973 where she resided until 2009 when she moved to Danbury. She maintained an active social life in Ridgefield and Danbury for nearly 50 years, and always kept up with friends and acquaintances through church, schools, and clubs.

A devout Catholic, Claire was one of the first Eucharistic Ministers at St. Mary’s Church in Ridgefield, taught religious education classes, and was a long-time participant in Bible Study classes.

Claire managed a very active household as her eight children grew, supporting their interests, and driving many miles around town to after school activities. She was quick to note that she had multiple teenagers in the house for over 15 years! As the children grew, Claire returned to work for several years as a media research and tracking analyst for PR Data in Wilton.

Family vacations were a highlight for the family, typically involving a VW microbus loaded with tents and camping gear for ten. Both Claire and Dick had a love for the beach and the ocean, whether day trips to Jones Beach with the children, or just the two of them in their retirement home in Montauk, Long Island. She was always ready to enjoy a good lobster roll and looked forward to outings to the coast for seafood lunches. Later in life, Claire enjoyed traveling with Dick and her children to California, Canada, Europe, and other destinations.

Claire took great pride in all of her children’s and grandchildren’s achievements. She was especially pleased to be able to attend all of her grandchildren’s weddings, including two just this fall. Most of all, Claire was known for her kind nature, religious devotion, and her gentle, and firm, influence on her family. Her memory of events, accomplishments, and miscellaneous facts and figures was legendary. To top it off, she was a formidable competitor in family Scrabble tournaments.

Claire leaves eight children and their spouses: Kathleen (Richard) Willemin, Thérèse “Tee” Marra, Richard (Maria) Marra, Diane (Randy) Rigby, Raymond (Pamela) Marra, Paul Marra (Joel Valenzuela), John (Stephanie) Marra, and Janet Prisloe (Robert Galvin), as well as seventeen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren: Michael (Danielle) Willemin and their sons Michael and Tyler, David (Brianne) Willemin and their daughters Ann and May, Andrew (Jean Lombardi) Dylag and their daughter Anne, Heather (Nicole) Werner and their son Maxwell, Michael Dylag, Jr. and his fiance Christine Backer, Rich (Lauren) Marra, Jason Marra, Casey Rigby (Joe Ward), Chelsea (Gregory) Kearney and their daughter Tara, Gregory (Elizabeth) Stanton Marra and their children Claire and Wilkins, Christopher Marra and his fiance Rachel Schwartz, Lauren Valenzuela, Olivia (Michael Pelts) Marra, Grace Marra, Allison Prisloe, Dana Prisloe, and Haley Prisloe.

She also leaves a sister-in-law, Maureen Marra and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother James A. McDonald, Jr. and his wife, Mary Jane McDonald, her brother-in-law Christopher Marra, and her great-granddaughter, Ava Grace Willemin.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, December 12th at 10:00 AM at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, Ridgefield. Interment will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Ridgefield.

Friends will be received on Sunday, December 11th from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Kane Funeral Home, 25 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Claire’s memory may be made to Danbury Regional Hospice, 30 Milestone Rd, Danbury, CT 06810, or St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 520 Ridgebury Rd, Ridgefield, CT 06877 or a charity of your choosing.