Obituary of Claire Maulsby DeVoe

Claire Maulsby DeVoe would like you to know that her service here on Earth is fulfilled and she is now soaring together beyond the clouds with Mother and Father Maulsby; Bunka George and Bunka Shirley, Daniele and Roger and many of her closest friends. We are quite sure the perks of this new adventure include delicious food paired with red wine and fantastic conversation. Claire was best known for her sophistication and grace. For many decades, she was the matriarch and the cornerstone of a proud family with a deep history. A sincere friend to all whose lives she touched, she passed on October 24th, 2020 while sleeping peacefully at her residence in Canajoharie, New York in her 95th year. She was with her husband, George, age 97, of 76 years, and truly dedicated caregivers from Montgomery County, New York. Claire was born in May, 1926 to Edward Clair Maulsby and Pearl Daniel Maulsby in Tulsa Oklahoma. Early in her childhood, they moved to Sykeston, North Dakota and later out west to Seattle, Washington. She spent her high school years in Bremerton, Washington. At age 18, she met her loving husband George Spaulding DeVoe, a WWII veteran who served in the US Navy, in the pacific theater as a Lt JG in the Seebees. In 1944 the newlyweds settled back east in Bridgewater, CT. In 1992, they moved to Cherryfield, Maine and finally to Canajoharie, NY in 2005. Devoted wife to George IV, beloved mother of George V, Edward and Daniele, proud grandmother of Alexander, Dexter, George VI, Peter, Edward, Hugo, Larkin, Timothy and Morgan, great-grandmother of Amber, Zebadiah, Tahleb, Quinn, Zoë and Kingston. Claire lived a full life as a homemaker, pilot and active member in her community. Her smile would light up a room, her zestful laugh would bring sunshine through the clouds. She loved to cook, and prepared 5 star meals al la Juila Child to bestow upon lucky guests and family. She kept an immaculate home and was an impeccable host. A country girl at heart, having grown up in the depression era, she always kept a Victory garden full of fresh organic herbs and veggies. Zinnias and orange poppies adorned her summer table. Pity any groundhog that burrowed in her garden…she was a sharpshooter and proud of it! She became a certified and highly skilled pilot in her 50s and was an active member of the Ninety Nines for nearly two decades. Specializing in “taildragger” aircraft such as her beloved blue Cessna 170 named Dilly and the Piper Super Cruiser, she had 4 planes in total. For many years, Claire and George enjoyed adventures to fly-ins and small airports all over the U.S., and taking her grandchildren for afternoon cruises at Candlelight Farms Airfield in Connecticut. She loved birdwatching, and was an avid “birder.” She reported each year to Cornell for bird counts, and had a lengthy life list and love for tracking down rare birds. There was never a bird she could not name! Her greatest passion was family, whom she loved deeply and instilled in her children and grandchildren a strong set of values of compassion for others, a strong stewardship of this world and finding joy in every day that have served them all well. We will certainly miss having Claire with us in person as we continue to walk our own paths. We know she is with her husband George and with the rest of us in spirit--an enriched, energetic soul with far-reaching, new understanding...while occasionally flying loop de loops and lazy eights through the heavens…