Kathleen M. Clair

Kathleen M. Clair died peacefully on January 26, 2019, after 100 years of engaging life on her own terms. Kathleen was the beloved daughter of Ted and Kit Clair and devoted older sister of Phyllis and Donald (all deceased,) and a much-loved cousin to generations of the Churchville family. Kathleen graduated from St. Cecilias High School in Englewood, NJ, in 1936 and from Katherine Gibbs School in 1937. She spent her 20s as a secretary in Manhattan before joining Pan Am in 1948, where she flourished for 32 years as the assistant to the founder, Juan Trippe. Her Pan Am career gave Kathleen decades of opportunity to travel the world and make the acquaintance of some of the most important people of the day, including Charles Lindberg. In retirement, Kathleen remained close to the Trippe family. She was a founding member and Director Emeritus of the Pan Am Historical Foundation (https://www.panam.org) and worked with Charlie and Ed Trippe to preserve Pan Ams historic contributions the history of flight. She wintered in Florida, with her younger brother Donald and relished the time she spent with the close-knit veterans community near their home in Cocoa Beach. Kathleen loved living in New York City, and remained there until she could no longer cross 1st Avenue in a single traffic light. In 2012, she moved to a retirement community in South Kingstown, RI, to be near family. While she needed a little assistance now and then, she was nowhere near done wringing the most out of life. At 94 years old she met Phil Benoit, whose energy and good humor she loved. Kathleen will be missed by her large extended family, the Trippe family, colleagues from Pan Am and the Pan Am Historical Foundation, and friends from her long and well-lived life.