Clara Blanding - Obituary

LARA LEE BLANDING Of Annapolis, MD passed away on Sunday, September 5, 2010. The beloved wife of William A. Blanding for 32 years, loving daughter of Lee S. and the late Anita Baumann and devoted sister of Norma “Sunny” Kincaid. Born June 13, 1957 in Palo Alto, CA, she graduated from West Springfield High School in Springfield, VA in 1975 and Virginia Tech in 1978 with a degree in International Studies. During her college years she was involved in the Washington, D.C. Debutant Society where she met her future husband, William “Bill” Blanding. Bill seeing Clara for the first time in 1976, remembers saying, “that’s the girl I’m going to marry” and they were married June 24, 1978. Despite being burdened by medical problems during her marriage, that did not stop her from spending 6 years in Germany, 16 years in Orlando, FL, 7 years in Alexandria and the last 3 years in Annapolis working as a Medical Office Manager for over 20 years. Clara would learn anything that remotely interested her and developed many talents to include boating, beading, photography, publishing, ballroom dancing, cooking and scuba diving. She was always excited to share her experiences with any one, especially her culinary and artistic creations. Clara was active in the Northern Virginia Power Squadron (a boating organization) as the secretary for 3 years. She loved not only traveling, but also the excitement of planning and preparing for each trip and more importantly to her, researching the regional history associated with each trip. She was an avid reader, collector of baskets and pottery, helper to others and a friend to all. Friends are invited to Clara’s Life Celebration at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater, MD on Saturday, September 18, 2010 from 2:00 pm until a funeral service begins at 3:00 pm. A reception at the funeral home will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to SPCA of Anne Arundel County, PO Box 3471, Annapolis, MD 21403.