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September 6, 1932 ~ February 20, 2022
Claire passed away after many years of battling cancer. Follow this link to read the loving obituary written by her nieces and her daughter Cathie Pelton, and which appeared in the Los Altos Town Crier.
Mrs. Pelton made a significant impact on the lives of many of her LAHS English students. Cathie Pelton is planning a celebration of her mother's life for October 15, and would like to invite those students who wish to participate. Claire was 89 when she passed, and many of her close friends and family members who will attend are of her generation. They have weaker immune protection so are more vulnerable to infection by the COVID virus, and are more likely to have underlying health conditions which can lead to life threatening symptoms, hospitalization, and poor outcomes. Therefore, Cathie is requiring that all who attend have been fully vaccinated and bring proof of their vaccinations. If you wish to receive an invitation, contact Cathie at Claires.Epiphany@gmail.com Do this soon so she can arrange for the appropriate amount of space and seating.
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Sherry Meredith (Ginn)
My mother, Eleanor Meredith, loved her job as secretary of the LAHS English department in the 60s. She said she especially liked working for Claire, who was not only a beloved teacher, but the best boss ever - predictably cheerful and appreciative. I share her family's sorrow in the loss of one so special.
Virginia Small (Chambers)
What a wonderful person Claire Pelton was... I'm sorry I never had the joy of having her for my teacher, but I'm glad she continued on with us at reunions and loved us all to the end... She will be remembered and missed by many. Much sympathy to her family and friends. Ginni Small Chambers
Carole Rinne (Moore)
Claire Pelton was absolutely the best! I can still remember her enthusiastically describing the books on her reading lists, making me want to read them all. She was able to inspire us then and even now. My deepest sympathy to her family. Carole
John Hughes-Caley
On a cold Virginia morning, late January, ice glistening on tall, bare trees all about, eyes tearing up, feeling warmer now, after reading classmates' affectionate tributes to Claire Pelton's influence on their lives - all richly on point! Thank you, all!
Paraphrasing from 60 years ago:
"No," Claire told me. "You don't need to jam a subject, verb and object into every sentence."
"Read really good writers!"
On writing an essay for the Subject A Exam: "Remember, you're not writing a lab report! Tell a story! Narrow your topic to something that gets your attention and holds your interest. Paint a word picture that invites your reader to share your interest . What big things do you know about this topic? How do you know these things? Why do (should) they matter to the reader? Communicating isn't just about facts and logical analysis; Put your reader and yourself out there! Be yourself and have fun!"
Claire's criptic note in my copy of our senior yearbook: "John, please at least take some courses in English!" Lucky me, years later, I met my wonderful wife, Sabine, in an English composition class.
I was privileged to share these memories with Claire at our 50th reunion and, again thanks to Sylvia's project.
Yes! Celebrate Claire's memory - her generous, powerful, life-affirming force.
Bonnie Honsberger (Haskell)
My very favorite teacher at LAHS was Claire Pelton. I still remember her love of Shakespeare and her method of including her whole class is reading and reinacting the famous scenes. I laugh when I think about those plays and I continue to carry an appreciation for Shakespeare which has stayed with me a lifetime. Sending my sympathy to her family. Bonnie Haskell
Joyce Wilson (Hodgkinson)
Mrs. Pelton was what we called her as students, Claire Pelton she became as we grew into adulthood.
I was hosting a Bay Area Writing Project (BAWP) at the school I had co-founded and I noticed that Claire Pelton was on the board of directors. How fortuitious, I could now let her know what an influence she had been on my life. I wrote her and reminded her that one day, when passing out exams, I asked for the "B" exam, as she had two levels, easier questions on the "B" exam, but you could earn no more than a "B." Harder questions on the "A" exam but you had the potential of earning an A. I said, "B exam please." She looked at me sternly and said, "You are college material. You need to take the A exam."
At that point, I reasoned that if Mrs. Pelton believed I was college material, perhaps I should listen to her. Changing my career path from adminstrative assistant/secretary to teacher happened on that day in that classroom. I went on to co-found my own school and teach in the Department of Education at USF.
She was a model for Goethe's thinking, "When we take people merely as they are, we make them worse; when we trat them as if they were what they should be, we improve them as far as they can be improved." She inspired me to model that thinking with my own students through the years.
She wrote back to my letter saying, "How fortuitous. I received your message on the day I was retiring. You cannot know how much it meant to me."
She was, as they say, one of a kind.
Janet Stites (Daru)
Mrs. Pelton is one of the few teachers I remember from my high school years. She was the best!! I can still remember the quote being written on the board as I entered class one day - "As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods. They kill us for their sport." Fast forward, I've enjoyed Shakespeare plays in Ashland and Shakespeare summer theater in Sonoma over the years. Mrs. Pelton was an excellent and inspiring teacher. I was fortunate to have had her! My heartfelt condolences to her family.
Diana Dolan (Mattick)
Mrs. Peyton gave us an interesting and fun class. She was an enthusiastic joy of a teacher. What I remember most is that she helped us to think about life through the meanings in our readings and her help in understanding them. I was never bored in her class! Blessings to Mrs. Pelton for a generous life well lived. How wonderful to influence children growing up. Condolences to her family and all those who loved her.
Website Visitor
Although not in the class of 1962, I remember Mrs. Pelton from my Mother's (Marilyn Young, English and French Teacher, Department Chair, Counselor, Vice Principal) many gatherings at our home. Always polite to this (then) small denizen of the house, she made a lasting impression on how to interact with others, of all ages.
Theresa Elva Jordan (Mathiesen)
What I remember best about Mrs. Pelton's class are the weekly vocabulary lists and the fun we had with them.
While writing to Mrs. Pelton a window opened in my memory, and I remembered thinking, as a freshman at U.C. Berkeley, "Mrs. Pelton prepared us well!" I told her this in my letter, and thanked her.
My sympathy to her family.