BK Blast Archive

I sadly have to share that Clare Stadtmauer, mother of BK member Rhea Stadtmauer, passed away Sunday morning.  She was was 82 years old.  

Clare was born in Cleveland, Ohio to immigrant parents.   Yiddish was her first language.  Her grandparents and later, relatives fleeing Hitler shared the family home.  Clare was a very talented pianist and artist.  She decided on a practical course of study for work and pursued a career in social work.  This was at a time when Rabbi's wives were expected to take on no work other than synagogue activities. She worked for the NYC Board of Education.  Clare took pride in Yiddish culture and Jewish identity.  She studied Hebrew throughout her adult life.   In her last year, she revived her high school French, taking classes with friends at North Shore Towers.  Clare was a maven of health, diet and exercise.  She climbed 14 flights of stairs up to her apartment several times a day for her exercise.  Clare had many interests and watched the current 'actors' in the primaries with fascination and disbelief.  She had a razor sharp mind and was a pillar of strength for our family.  Clare was a good friend to Rhea's mother-in-law, Sylvia Maiman.  When Sylvia passed on, she 'adopted' Rhea's wife Janice and treated her as her own.  She was an amazing mother to children, Rhea and Gary, wonderful mother-in-law to Janice and Cindy, and also a fully engaged grandmother to Jake, Emma, Max and Sophie.   Last but not least, Clare was married to Rabbi Murray Stadtmauer, who she met while working at the Jewish Theological Seminary, for 59 years.  They were each other's Bashert. 

The funeral is tomorrow morning (Monday, 4/18) at 11 a.m. at Beth David Cemetery in Elmont NY.

Shiva will be at Rhea & Janice's home (27 Waterbury Road, Montclair), as follows: