Clarice Marie Claps Wiedorn
Clarice “Clare” Marie Claps Wiedorn, 98, died Aug. 13.
She was born Jan. 24, 1926, at the family home in New Rochelle, New York, to Camille Colangelo and George Anthony Claps.
The family moved to Waterbury, Connecticut, where she was valedictorian of her class at Bucks Hill Grammar School and graduated Crosby High in 1943. In 1947, she graduated from the University of Connecticut with a major in mathematics.
In 1951, she went off on an adventure throughout Europe and visited relatives in Italy and spent Christmas with them.
Soon after, she met her future husband, Albert Wiedorn, who also had attended Crosby High and graduated in the same class.
They married July 11, 1953, and in 1955, with their 5-week-old firstborn, Paul, in tow, they moved to Quito, Ecuador. After that they lived in Santo Domingo, then known as Ciudad de Trujillo, in Dominican Republic; East Granby, Connecticut; Brasilia, Brazil; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Riverview, Florida; and finally, Holmes Beach.
After returning from Brazil in 1970, Mrs. Weidorn worked briefly as a clerk at Heublein liquor company. In 1972, she completed training as a computer programmer and worked at the Hartford Insurance Group until 1977, when she joined her husband in Honduras.
In 1978, the couple moved to Florida to become managers of the Alafia River Campers Resort they co-owned with their siblings Fred and Gladys Wiedorn, and Elmer and Ingrid Claps. After selling the ARC in 1987, they purchased their home in Holmes Beach and continued their travelling adventures. In the end, they had visited over 100 countries.
She enjoyed early morning walks on the beach and swimming in the Gulf and developed a group of friends who met on the beach in the late afternoon to enjoy a cocktail and critique the sunset.
A memorial service/celebration of life on will be held starting at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, followee by a 6-7 p.m. ceremony at Toale Brothers Chapel, 912 53rd Ave. W., Bradenton.
Mrs. Wiedorn is survived by son Paul, and his wife Macushla; their children Ian, Arras and Patrick and his wife, Krista Mangiardi; daughter Cathy Camille and husband John Mazurek; and a large extended family.