Obituary of Claire S. Raneri

Claire S. Raneri, 96, passed away on March 18th, 2023 in Danbury, Connecticut surrounded by her loving family. Claire was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin, friend, and woman of faith. 

Claire was born June 28th, 1926 in Long Island to Carl and Lillian Schroeder and had two siblings, Lillian and Kenneth. In 1942, she graduated from Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, New York at the age of 16. From there, Claire went on to secretarial school at Berkeley College in New York City. She worked as the secretary for the president of General Precision Labs in Pleasantville, New York from 1944 to 1951.

Claire met her husband Phillip Raneri in 1948 on a ski trip to Moody’s Mountain Farm in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. During their 72 wonderful years of marriage, the two were inseparable. In Katonah, New York, Claire and Phil raised their five children: Phillip, James, David, Peter, and Susan. Phil ran Charles Department Store, a family business and fixture of town life in Katonah, where Claire served as bookkeeper and financial manager. Beginning in the1960s, the family enjoyed vacationing in Nantucket, where Phil and Claire eventually retired in 1997.

Claire was a generous mother, making a point to always have family dinner. She loved spending time with her grandchildren, and could often be found huddled over a game of Scrabble or Tiddlywinks and serving up endless slices of cinnamon raisin toast and grapes. Her great-grandchildren always looked forward to her generous servings of ice cream cones and cookies, no matter the time of day.

A member of St. Mary Lady of the Isle Church in Nantucket, she was actively involved in parish life, whether hosting priests for dinner, needlepointing vestments, or volunteering at the annual church fair. She also gave of her time at Nantucket Elementary School, helping children learn to read.

Claire enjoyed gardening, reading, cooking, golfing, and knitting. She especially loved spending time with her family. Being with Claire put a smile on everyone’s face. She will best be remembered for her warm hospitality, thoughtful birthday cards, and selfless devotion to her husband and family. Her sweetness will live on forever in the hearts of her loved ones and everyone who knew her.

She is survived by her loving husband, Phil, five children, six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial Mass for Claire on Tuesday, March 21st at 11am at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Katonah.