How can it be? Ten years without our Claire and yet, she is as close as a smile and those ever present coral sunsets that seem to pop up when we need them the most. As much as Claire refused to be defined by melanoma in her life, it seems more important than ever to celebrate the young woman beyond the diagnosis. While we know she would embrace the mission of this foundation bearing her name, Claire was so much more; a unique spirit determined to live life to the fullest. She was extremely private, offering quiet strength wrapped in joy with high expectations for the future, always undeterred.
How do I share all the magic that was Claire? It’s nearly impossible.
Claire was simply someone you had to experience; the brightest of lights. Hysterical with a dry wit and contagious belly laugh, she loved nothing more than to make fun of herself. Her years were short but her life was full. By 17, she parasailed, traveled through Europe and determined Charleston was her happy place. She shadowed a designer in New York and was accepted to two of her favorite colleges the day before she passed. She knew all the best shopping areas in SoHo, enjoyed celebrity moments, danced in the rain at concerts. She broke curfew, was grounded, redeemed, and grounded again. She fell in love, played lacrosse, field hockey and cross country and competed in aerobics. She designed amazing dresses, had parties (and invited way too many people…she just couldn’t say no apparently). She challenged herself, had little patience for drama, and decided there was always something to smile about if you looked hard enough. She embraced all that was beautiful, intent on bringing joy, color, beauty and creativity to everyday life.
Posted in her room was a sign stating “ I have an irrational fear of wasting a good outfit on an insignificant day.” Since she wasn’t about to give up looking good, Claire opted to avoid insignificant or mediocre days.
At her passing, her classmates and friends shared with us stories of Claire. It was a “fly on the wall” view of our daughter; the life she lived away from us. Ten years later, we have asked some of those closest to her to share their favorite memories and reflections. Hearing the stories creates a lovely image, impossible of course, but one which still makes this mother smile. If I close my eyes, I can just imagine Claire and her circle of friends; now grown women, all curled up on a sofa, wine glasses in hand, the air filled with loud, excited chatter sprinkled with her contagious, melodious laughter as they recount their adventures:
STORIES
CASEY:
There’s something truly special about growing up with a close friend by your side. Through awkward phases, sleepovers, first dances, impossible math classes, high school parties, and everything in between, Claire and I always had each other’s backs. When I reflect on our friendship, my heart warms at the thought of us driving down York Road, stopping for milkshakes, blasting Miley Cyrus, and laughing uncontrollably. It wasn’t the big events that mattered most, but those smaller, in-between moments that defined our friendship.
We stayed up late, laughed until we cried, stressed over classes, talked about crushes, and leaned on each other to get through every phase of adolescence. Claire was the life of every party, and she brought out the silliest, most carefree version of me in high school. Our friendship has left a lasting imprint on who I am today—encouraging me to always be myself and to find humor even in stressful situations. That’s what Claire did best.
One moment that really stands out from my Junior year was when our group of friends went through a phase of eating lunch in the middle school gym. One day, Claire and I were sitting on the floor with our sandwiches when someone casually mentioned the math test happening in the next period. This was a complete surprise to both of us. Panicking, we quickly opened our books and frantically tried to cram whatever we could.
Fast forward to the test: everyone had already finished except for Claire and me. We kept exchanging nervous glances from across the room, fully aware that we hadn’t prepared nearly enough. With just a few minutes left, Claire suddenly stood up, and I thought, Great, now it’ll just be me scrambling to finish. But instead of turning in her test, she looked right at Mrs. Adolf our teacher and blurted, “We both have no idea how to finish this test.”
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. It caught me off guard, but more than anything, I was relieved she said something. Mrs. Adolf stood up and, with surprising patience, guided us through the last problem. Whether we passed or failed is a bit of a blur, but what stuck with me was how Claire’s quick wit and humor made the whole ordeal so much easier.
DIANA:
As much as I try, I can’t remember exactly how or why our friendship started but I do know she was one of the most positive, fun-loving people I had and will ever meet. Claire was always the first one to voice her desire to do something outside of school whether it was grabbing a smoothing, going to a concert, or having a good old fashioned high school basement party. When it came to hanging out with Claire the events were never boring. I can still remember the one time I agreed to go ‘grab a smoothie’ after school. Little did I know that wasn’t the only thing we would be doing. After stopping by Smoothie King and picking up smoothies, Claire thought it would be fun to drive through the nearby all boys high school to see if we could see any cute boys walking around. To a normal human this wouldn’t sound very exciting but to a sophomore high school girls that go to an all-girls school this activity was groundbreaking. As we approached the high school, Claire decided we needed to roll down all the windows and blast music as it would get the boys attention and it would obviously make us look super cool. Driving through the high school, hitting speed bump after speed bump, Claire yelled through her car window to the poor boys just trying to get to class. As she yelled, we all ducked down because we were all a little cowardly for any boys to actually see us, but not Claire. With her smoothie in one hand and her steering wheel in another, her confident and vibrant self-yelled at all those boys and forced them to look at her. After the minute long drive through the campus, we skirted off onto the main road giggling all the way home and obviously picking out which guy was the cutest. Her energy and fun spirit was palpable and you couldn’t help but feel the same way when you were around her. She brought me out of my shell a lot in high school and made me feel comfortable in my own skin and that is something I will always remember and cherish about her.
KRISTEN:
Claire and I were going to a high school party in the middle of winter and of course, she was driving in her white Rav4. All was great for a couple of hours until the parents came home and kicked everyone out. Instead of calling it a night, Claire and I decided to “camp” in her car. There we sat, bundled up and freezing, blasting an entire Miley Cyrus album and Les Mis while others jumped in to join the car party. It is one of my favorite memories with her!
ALLY:
The memories I have with Claire I hold onto tightly. I remember exactly where we were on York Rd when she showed me how she could drive (hands-frees) with her knees. I remember us begging her sister Hillary to buy us body glitter for parties and school dances when we couldn’t drive yet. And when we spent hours trying to figure out how to make a skirt out of duct tape for Halloween… and the fact that “costume” was supposed to be a Victoria Secret Angel.
MADISON: 
I’ve never been a great runner, but Claire made cross country so much more enjoyable. Whether she stayed back with me at my slow pace or encouraged me to go faster, those two hours after school every day were always filled with laughter and great conversations. I’ll never forget one Friday after practice we had a concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion, and I had nothing to wear. Midway through practice Claire did the Lords work; she decided we needed to cut practice early that day, head to the mall and find me the perfect outfit to wear. She helped me look great that night!
Another personal favorite was her Christmas party.Claire LOVED a good themed party. Cue all of us in sweaters, stripped knee high socks and antlers in the Wagonhurst basement with boys nearly knocking down the back door to get in.
NINA:
When I think about Claire, I think about a huge smile, a hot pink outfit and blaring music. She was our fun, lighthearted and goofy friend. We would get out of school on any given Friday at Notre Dame Prep and race to the Wagonhurst home where we would plot out the rest of the night. We would get ready and blast music in Claire’s room, trying on clothes and getting “assistance” from her older sister Hillary. Before we knew it, we had about 50 people crammed into the basement and we couldn’t have been happier. Claire was the ultimate host but was also right there with us, enjoying the party. This is one of the things I miss the most about her. The nights at her house and even days at school with Claire, she made fun!
REFLECTIONS
DIANA:
I spent the next years of my life always thinking of Claire. I think since her death happened when I was so young I never really learned from her story and applied what I learned from her to my life until I was a bit older. Come 2020 I was at a bit of a cross roads. I had just graduated college, was a new graduate ER nurse during the pandemic. While so much was happening at this time in my life I never really felt happy. I felt like I was missing out on something. I realized I wanted more for myself and if I wasn’t happy then why not make a change. During that moment Claire is the first person that came to my mind. I thought of her strength and her love for life and how she always just did what she wanted to do even up until the very end. Having her strength behind me I decided to make a change. I moved to Phoenix, Arizona. I knew absolutely no one there and I have no idea what was pulling me there but something in me knew that was exactly what I was supposed to do. It was beyond terrifying. Every time I felt scared or alone I went for a drive. During those drives I don’t think I’ve ever seen more coral skies in my entire life. Those coral Arizona sunsets were a hug from Claire. It’s like I could feel her with me telling me I was exactly where I was supposed to be. With her by my side I continued to travel. I went to Long Beach, California and every time I was stressed or contemplating the decision I had made I went for a walk or a drive and every time the skies were lit with coral. While I will never be able to give life back to Claire I really do believe I am living the life she would have wanted for me. Now with her behind me I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to. She is beyond inspirational to me even to this day and I don’t see that ever changing. I just know wherever life takes me next, as long as I see those coral skies I will know she is with me and I am exactly where I am supposed to be.
MADISON:
Dear Claire,
As I reflect on the past ten years, your impact on my life remains profound. Your kindness, laughter, and spirit taught me the true meaning of friendship and the importance of living life to the fullest. Your passion and dedication inspire me daily in my career and personal life- you are one of the people who inspired me to get into nursing to care for people. Though you’re gone, I feel your presence guiding me, reminding me to be compassionate and cherish every moment. I strive to honor your memory in all I do, knowing your influence has shaped the person I am today. I miss you dearly and carry you with me always.
With love, Madison
KRISTEN:
One thing I’ve realized over the last ten years is that having a friend like Claire is truly one in a million. When I think back on our friendship, I can’t help but smile, quickly followed by a sense of gratitude for getting the chance to experience a once in a lifetime connection.
Over the years, I’ve met many great people and amazing friends, but I’ve never had another friend like Claire. When I say she is a one-in-a-million type of friend, I mean it. Claire would drop anything to be there for her friends and would always say “yes” to any plan before knowing the details, simply because she wanted to support them and have fun together. Wherever she went and with whomever she met, Claire exuded a love for life and an ability to find joy in every situation, all while dealing with her own battles.
She showed me what a true friend should be—someone who genuinely wanted to be there for the people she loved, spending hours listening and providing advice. I have always strived to embody that quality because of how much it meant when she showed up for me.
These are just a few of the many traits I admire about her. While it hasn’t always come naturally to me to be spontaneous and remain optimistic, I choose every day to try to emulate her positivity, knowing Claire has undoubtedly changed my perspective on life.
Because of Claire, I will always try to say “yes” to new experiences, drop anything to support a friend, and look for fun in every situation, even when it seems impossible. I know that for the rest of my life, I will continue to share Claire’s story, telling new friends and people I meet what kind of person she was and how lucky I was to know her. I have seen firsthand how sharing Claire’s life has inspired complete strangers and saved countless others.
I feel Claire’s presence in so many things I do, whether it’s taking a drive while blasting my favorite music or going out of my way to see a friend at a coffee shop, treating myself to a pastry from the display window. Many people go their entire lives without having a friend so selfless and loyal, and I feel so blessed that I was lucky enough to have all of that with Claire.
In the last decade, I’ve found comfort in recalling the countless memories I have with Claire—replaying our conversations and sometimes even dreaming about sitting in her RAV4, catching up after all these years. In these dreams, we share updates on our lives and reminisce about high school music, boys, and parties. I always wake up feeling a sense of peace, as if I’ve just caught up with a friend who moved away, and we need to share months of news, both good and bad. I look forward to having these dreams and hope to continue experiencing them for a long time to come.
All my love
Kristen ❤️
NINA:
Claire was an amazing person and light in my life. As I wrote this, I thought about how positive she was despite everything she was dealing with at the time. Not only did we not know it, but we couldn’t even believe it when we found out. This was due to Claire’s easygoing personality and her ability to find fun.
Claire, you have impacted my life in ways I could not imagine. When I think back, my memories with you are fun, carefree and filled with laughter. It is remarkable to think about what you dealt with during our friendship, without me even realizing it. This happy and easy-going approach to life is definitely the most unforgettable thing about you. I would love to “Live life like Claire”, which we came up with while telling stories about you. To live life like Claire, would be to enjoy every moment, like she did. Anyone will tell you, throughout all of our memories, she was happy, fun and bubbly. It wasn’t just her personality that made her special, it was the way she celebrated life. As I reminisce, I would like to embody her beautiful spirit more into my daily life. No matter what was going on, I knew that Claire could bring a smile to my face.
ALLY:
When I think about Claire I can still hear her voice, picture her mannerisms, her tone when she was saying something sarcastically, or the dead giveaways when she was telling a white lie. She was someone you could talk to about everything and nothing at the same time. She never got tired of talking. I remember going off to college and missing that. But most importantly, I remember how she made me feel.
I think about her a lot. I think if she were here today we would be doing lots of traveling. I know she would have hopped on the first flight to visit me in Australia when I moved here. Claire was always up for an adventure. I think about the career she would have chosen and which city she would live in. She always had a soft spot for the south and sunny weather and she was passionate about fashion, but I could also see her living in NYC working in PR or media. It’s bittersweet to think about, but I know that wherever she would have ended up she would be doing big things.
I think about making her proud, knowing that whatever I am facing, she would be rooting for me and telling me to go for it; even if “it” might be a bit delusional. It’s hard to believe that she’s been gone longer than I knew her. But the impact she made on my life and the way she made me feel is something I could never forget.
