A Tribute to Claire Pappas: Dear Granny

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Dear Granny

Dancing, singing, swaying
Mother of us all
Sewing, cooking, creating
Your life a precious jewel

Laughing, talking, giving…

Again and again, you sewed
Your heart into our seams

You faced life squarely, in words and in silence
A good Polish girl, you made family the fulcrum of your life

You honored your mother and your father
In your veins, you carried Mama’s mountain-like love and morality
Papa’s twinkling eyes and accordion-playing, suit-making hands
From them to you to us
to ours

New York City Girl. Sophisticate. Flapper.
Charmer. Beauty. Performer.

You knew how to appreciate and cultivate your own beauty
Stylish dresses, fantastic jewelry, movie star hats
And the beauty all around you:
Thousands of photographs:
Greece, Spain, Italy, England, India

You shared your images, your stories, your sense of wonder
And all of us, in our own way, have tried to see the world
With the same freshness and exuberance

Your life an epic quest
A 100-year odyssey
A map for us to follow

Thank you for revealing life’s deepest secret:
That the true joy of life lives in honoring others
Without pettiness, pretense, self-regard, or regret

Dear Granny, Dancing Girl,
We’re at the end of the movie
The image is flickering

But I can still see us walking down a Manhattan street
You seem for a moment lost in thought
And then,
As if you remembered that these moments don’t last
You break into a skip
Our arms swing together
I could go on like this forever

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Claire Pappas (1907-2007)

Claire Pappas died peacefully in the early hours of November 1, 2007, surrounded by her loving family. She was 100 years old. At the time of her passing, the beloved matriarch known as “Granny” was survived by a son-in-law (William Leroy Shailor), 7 grandchildren (Thomas Shailor, Sandra Shucavage, Erica Robinson, Jonathan Shailor, Kimberly Obremski, Christopher Shailor, and Richard Shailor), 9 great-grandchildren (Robert and Joseph Shailor, Michael and James Obremski, Samantha and Katie Shucavage, Alexandra and Rebecca Shailor, and Ashley Shailor), one sister (Regina Ballone) and one sister in-law (Bernice Urtnowski).

Claire Pappas was born on January 12, 1907 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Polish immigrants Bronislaw Stanislaw Urtnowski and Stephania Dombrowski. In her early years at P.S. 3 in Greenpoint and at Washington Irving High School in New York City, Claire developed a love for art and literature that would remain with her throughout her life. Claire survived a brief marriage at the age of 16, and gave birth to her first daughter, Joyce in 1924. In the rough-and-tumble of early 20th century New York, Claire thrived as an office worker, and as an occasional dancer and model (in 1925, she modeled for a statue of the Madonna). During this time, she cultivated a quick wit, a strong sense of grace and beauty, and flawless accounting skills. On December 7, 1930, she married George Pappas, a son of Greek and Irish immigrants. Claire gave birth to their daughter Patricia in 1931.

Through the following years, George’s work as a national and international classified advertising consultant would carry the small family to Syracuse in upstate New York, and also to Chicago, Oklahoma City, Omaha, and St. Louis. They would always return to New York City, where Claire picked up office work, eventually landing a position as office manager for the Great Lakes Carbon Company (owned by the Skakel family, linked by marriage to the Kennedys). Claire also enjoyed the bright lights of the big city, and encouraged her daughters’ experiments in modeling and performance. Both daughters married and had children. Sadly, Joyce died while still a young woman due to complications from diabetes. Claire would become a second mother to Joyce’s children, especially Erica, who was severely developmentally disabled, and who had to be institutionalized at an early age. Claire took full responsibility for Erica’s care. In the 1960’s and 70’s, Claire and her husband divided their time between visits with their grandchildren, and travel—to the British Isles, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Greece, Singapore, India, and elsewhere. During those years it seemed that Claire and George spent at least half their time on the NYC subway, taking excursions in their VW Beetle, or flying to another exotic destination.

In 1980, Claire and George moved to Beverly, Massachusetts, to be closer to their daughter Patricia and their grandchildren. Claire also saw to it that Erica was transferred from her facility in New York to a facility near her new home on the North Shore.

The following decades were happy years filled with the joys and sorrows of family life. Claire mourned the loss of her husband George in 1992, her daughter Patricia in 2001, and her beloved son-in-law Peter in 2003. Through these years she was always surrounded by at least a dozen loving relatives, all living close by, visiting often, and sharing with Claire her great loves: family, art, good books, good food, theatre, music, stylish clothes and jewelry, games and adventures…

Claire’s great spirit lives on and continues to warm and inspire her descendants.

Those who wish to honor the memory of Claire Pappas may make a donation in her name to

Hogan Regional Center, 450 Maple Street, Danvers, MA 01923.

In Memorium

You do look, my son, in a moved sort, as if you were dismayed.
Be cheerful, sir, our revels now are ended.
These our actors were all spirits—
And are melted into air, into thin air.
And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capped towers,
The gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples,
The great globe itself—yeah, all which it inherit,
Shall dissolve…
And like this insubstantial pageant faded
Leave not a rack behind.
We are such stuff as dreams are made on,
And our little life is rounded with a sleep.

William Shakespeare, The Tempest