Claire C. Dondero - Obituary

laire Cassidy Dondero, 90, of Annapolis, MD, passed away on October 13, 2021. Born on August 12, 1931 in Philadelphia, PA to the late Joseph F. and Ella Minihan Cassidy, Claire and her family moved to Washington, D.C. where she graduated from the St. Cecelia Academy in 1949. That same year, at a dance at St. Martin of Tours parish, Claire met the love of her life, Ray Dondero, whom she married on June 13, 1953. Claire earned an Associate Degree from Immaculata College in Washington, DC and was a member of the Gamma Theta Mu sorority. After graduating, she served for forty years in several positions with the U.S. Department of State and the Small Business Administration. In 1978, she was honored with the Distinguished Service Award, the highest award presented by the Small Business Administration. She was a kind, loving and caring friend to many and served as a Eucharistic Minister at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Annapolis. In her spare time, Claire enjoyed playing bridge with the “Bridge Broads” and was often found rolling the bones in a game of Bunco. She loved her time at the beaches in Rehoboth Beach, DE, Ocean City, MD and Kauai, HI. In addition to her parents and husband, Claire was preceded in death by her faithful friend, Harry Dondero and her sister-in-law, Angela Dondero Enright. She is survived by her daughter, Sharon M. Dondero of Washington, DC; her caregiver and dear friend, Mildred “Millie” Gibson of Annapolis, MD; her sisters-in-law, Pauline (Melvin) Dondero Ventura of Kauai, HI and Marie (Daniel) Dondero Clement of Cheverly, MD and 17 nieces and nephews. A Memorial Mass will be offered on Friday, October 22 at 9:00 am at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 620 N. Bestgate Rd., Annapolis, MD. Inurnment is private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, 1815 Bay Ridge Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403 (aacspca.org) or the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 6 Herndon Ave, Annapolis, MD 21403 (www.cbf.org).