Claire Neiley Moss ’46

Claire Neiley Moss was born in Binghamton, New York in 1928. She began her education in the Endicott Public Schools, later attending Northampton School for Girls, Skidmore College, Boston State Teacher’s College, and Harvard University. A resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts for more than sixty-five years, she was active in schools, church, and community affairs. During the 1960’s, Claire was the first director of the Roxbury-Belmont Summer Program, a summer school that preceded the formal integration of the Boston and area public schools. Claire taught in Westwood and later in Belmont for thirty-one years. Upon retirement, she was a field supervisor for education students at Harvard University. Claire also worked with Amnesty International in London and with The Tuesday Meals Program at First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Harvard Square. In 1983 she married Van Wood. They traveled and enjoyed life together for many years. She loved the arts and was herself artistic. Her family, her students, and her friends will remember Claire for her kindness, her devotion to social justice, her passion for both teaching and learning, and her love of life. She met life challenges by always working toward good possibilities ahead. Claire was pre-deceased by her husband Van (2007) and by her three brothers Dick (1988), Bob (2011) and Chick (2015). She is survived by her two daughters Molly Moss (David) and Kate Moss Manski (Chuck), as well as her four grandchildren including Ben Manski (Sarah), Becca Manski, Anna Rosenbluth (Paul), and Peter Rosenbluth (Milvi), and by six great-grandchildren: Alex, Hannah, Aivi, Lev, Miku, and Isaac. If you wish to make donations in honor of Claire, please consider The Tuesday Meals Program at First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Cambridge, Amnesty International, or Planned Parenthood. Claire worked all her life for a better world. A memorial for family and close friends will be scheduled at a later time.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.