Clare Phelps Bray, born 1916 passed away after a valiant battle with cancer on August 5, 2004, in Groton, Conn. She was born and raised in Farmington to Dr. Stuart and Gertrude Phelps.
Predeceased by her husband Art Bray, she is survived by brothers Stuart, Bruce and Drs. Maxwell and Paul Phelps and sister, Eleanor Macpherson and her children Susan Caswell, Beresford Metzger, Bonnie Metzger and Kevin Metzger.
Clare Bray was a respected artist and was widely known for reviving the American art of tole painting which she studied and taught over 35 years. She was a member of the Mystic Art Assn., and Pequotsepos Nature Center. She was a volunteer at the Mystic Seaport for 7 years and the Westerly Hospital Emergency Room for 12 years. A jazz aficionado, music was a major part of her life and she felt that it played a significant role in keeping her disease at bay.
A Memorial Eucharist will be celebrated at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Mystic, Conn. on Monday, August 16 at 1:00pm. Her cremated remains will be laid to rest at St. Mark's Memorial Garden in Mystic, Farmington Cemetery and All Souls by the Sea in Petit Menan, Maine.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or Fairview Residents Recreation Fund, 235 Lestertown Road, Groton, CT 06340.