Clara Ann Alviani, our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt, passed away peacefully in her home on July 17, after a brief illness. While her true legacy is her family, many will remember Clara for her dedication and accomplishments to helping others.
Born March 6, 1928, in Cleveland, Ohio, Clara was the eighth of 10 children, she has an extensive family throughout the country. Being a Sicilian mom, Clara loved her family and cooking immensely. She would say that she loved everyone equally, but when you were with her, you were her favorite.
Clara was recently recognized by Community Memorial Hospital for her 32 years of service and 16,000 hours donated to the CMH Auxiliary. While it is wonderful to be acknowledged for these contributions, it was only a sample of what Clara had given to the community as a whole.
Her many hours at CMH included her time as committee chairperson, cuddling the newborns, teaching new volunteers, working with the juniors, and sewing dolls for the premature babies. Outside actual hours at the hospital, Clara gladly spent many more hours on the phone, scheduling volunteers for missing coverage, calling high school students who missed shifts and needed the hours for their college transcripts, or sewing “elephants and bears” from donated material she collected from friends and relatives.
However, it does not end with her many hours at CMH. For 27 years Clara had been a volunteer at the Ventura County Fair. After working in the Home Arts department, Clara became an Assistant Superintendent in the Photography Department, and until recently, donated her time in the Information Booth. Her family knew that all vacation trips must be scheduled around Fair time.
Many people would consider 20 hours a week as a volunteer at the hospital to be enough. Then to add another 60 hours a year at fair time to an already busy schedule would seem to be more than enough. However, it does not stop there. If it was an election year, Clara volunteered to work the polling booth on Election Day. She had accepted the supervisor position on several occasions and had trained many first time election volunteers. She did this for over 50 years.
All of this does not conclude Clara’s community activity. She worked on church committees for over 20 years and was the events planner on several occasions. Finally, Clara did all of this while still finding time to bowl weekly and carry a 150 average. Remarkable for a woman well into her 80s. Collectively, Clara did more than most people realize and she did it simply because she could.
In Clara’s spare time, she raised three sons, was grandmother to five and great-grandmother to six. Her greatest joy and challenge was taking care of her husband, Hank for 57 years. Clara and Hank enjoyed cruises and saw many parts of the world. The excursion stories were always the highlights of any trip.
Clara is preceded in life by her husband, Henry “Hank”, son, Francis, daughter Cecilia Marie and daughter-in-law, Lisa Alviani.
She is survived by sons, Henry (wife Cyndi), Robert (wife Sara) and Christopher (wife Betsy), grandchildren Erin McHugh (husband Matt), Carl Alviani, Jonathan Alviani (wife Lindsay), Rebecca Alviani, and Jared Alviani (wife Katelyn) and great-grand-children Benjamin, Devin, Sean, Caitlyn, Isadore and Emilia, and her closest friend, Judy Miller.
The Alviani family would like to thank Livingston Memorial Hospice, April and Samantha. Also for the wonderful care she received from Doctors’ Jennings, Brackett, Ledesma, Lehlar and Tedesco. There were also angel care givers, Virgie, Delia, Vicki and Loraine. Finally, the Ventura Townehouse angels, Aman, Marissa, Margie and Maria and many other staff and nurses, were superb in taking care of Clara.
A Memorial Mass will be said on Saturday, August 14 at 12:30 pm at Our Lady of Assumption Church, Ventura. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations are made to the American Heart Association. Arrangements are under the direction of the JOSEPH P. REARDON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICE, Ventura.