Obituary of Claire Toise

December 15, 2022

Claire Violet Klein Toise died on December 15, 2022. Claire was 95 years old on her last birthday, August 31, 2022. She was the daughter of Samuel Klein and Beatrice Lefkowitz Klein and the sister of Melvin Klein.  Claire was married for over forty years to Leo Toise, who passed away in 1998. Claire is survived by her three children, Stefanie, Michael, and David.  Her survivors also include many cousins in her large extended family to whom she was close throughout her life.

Claire graduated from James Monroe High School in 1943 and received her BA from Queens College, in 1949.  She was a dedicated teacher for New York City for over fifty years.  For many of those years, she taught at P.S. 19, and many of her colleagues were also valued friends.

Early in her career, when women were not encouraged to pursue advanced degrees, she completed two master’s degrees.  As a progressive thinker, Claire valued political activism and had the courage to stand behind her beliefs.  She spoke up and fought for those who were not heard:  she believed in community and the significance of looking out for one another.  She had a love of the arts, was an avid reader, and enthusiastically attended concerts and performances of ballet, theatre, and opera.  An adventurous world traveler, she was curious about cultures, art, people, and history, but most of all she loved the excitement of New York City and Lincoln Center. Wherever she was, nothing pleased her more than a well-prepared meal, served graciously—(and with dessert).  She never failed to engage with life and the world with energy and passion.

Claire’s funeral will be held at the Greenwich Village Funeral Home, 199 Bleecker Street, NY, NY, 10012, https://greenwichvillagefuneralhome.com/.   The service will be Sunday, January 8, 2023, from 10:30 to 12:30.  The family requests donations in Claire’s memory be sent to the Metropolitan Opera’s HD Live in Schools program at the following link: https://www.metopera.org/support/make-a-gift/support-hd-live-in-schools/

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