Claire Ann Gray

With deep sorrow and heavy hearts, we announce the
sudden passing and ascension of our loving mother,
Claire Ann Gray, on August 4th.

Proudly born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1949, she spent her childhood with her
brothers and sister in idyllic Bethel Park. She married her
high school sweetheart, Bill Knorr, with whom she had
her daughter, Kelly Lynne (Knorr) Robinson. Claire
attended Slippery Rock College, where she played guitar,
acted in plays, and was an Alpha Pi sorority sister. She
graduated with a teaching degree and a minor in Spanish,
inspired by her lifelong love of language. While raising
Kelly on her own, Claire taught American Sign Language
and worked full-time as a waitress at the Joshua Tree in
Fairfax, Virginia until she graduated and received her
degree. Claire then moved to Marin County, California to
join her older sister, Lee Blake. There, she met and
married Warwick Gray, with whom she had her son,
James. All who knew her knew her bond with her
children was extraordinary. Taking pride in being a
woman in business, she paved the way for herself in a
successful career in Silicon Valley and, in most recent
decades, owning her own business, Miracle Method of
San Francisco. Even more than her admirable career
achievements and high-level business acumen, Claire will
be remembered as a caring, generous, fiercely loyal
no-nonsense woman with a flair for fashion and a love of
etiquette and tradition. She loved the holidays year-round
and never forgot a birthday.

Claire is survived by her son, James Gray (son-in-law
Dan Young) of Bend, Oregon; her daughter Kelly (Knorr)
Robinson (son-in-law Scott Robinson) of San Diego; her
sister Lee Blake of Greenbrae; her brothers Fred Hoover
of Massachusetts and John Hoover of Georgia; her nieces
Christine (Cieski) Rauls of Petaluma and Michelle (Cieski)
Sylvester of Greenbrae; her close friends, dedicated coworkers
and many extended family members.
 

We deeply cherish Claire as she cherished all who were
in her life. Hold dear the memories you share with your
family and friends, for “thousands of small happy
memories are locked in our mind between the big
moments of life. Memory is a way of holding on to the
things you love, the things you are, and the things you
never want to lose.” Claire Gray’s life was lived as a
statement of love. A service will be announced for the Fall.

In her memory a gift of remembrance can be made to:
The Marin County Library Civic Center branch, as Claire
was an avid reader, or Jessica’s Haven, a non-profit
dedicated to saving dogs where Claire’s dogs are currently fostered:

https://www.marinlibraryfriends.org/friends-of-the-civic-center-library; https://jessicashaven.com/.
 

Assisted by Monte’s Chapel of the Hills, San Anselmo.

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