Clara Earleen (Smith) Taylor

Clara Earlean (Smith) Taylor, 72, died quietly in in the morning hours of Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at her home in Storrs, Connecticut.  She was surrounded by family after a long struggle with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  Born on August 13, 1946, in Covington Tennessee to the late Jackson and Lula Bell (Flowers) Smith.  Clara graduated from Frazier High School in the class of 1964.  She has resided in Storrs, Connecticut for the past 40 years.    

Clara was united with Christ at an early age at St. John M.B. Church in Covington, Tennessee under the leadership of Rev I. R. Reed.  She later joined Baptist Fellowship Church in Columbia, CT where Brian Keldsen is Pastor.    Clara was married to her loving husband, Moses Taylor, for over 53 years and was the mother of one son, Kenneth Taylor of Norwalk, Connecticut. 

Clara retired from the University of Connecticut in 2003 after 27 years of service as a microbiology laboratory technician.  Prior to and during her retirement, Clara and Moses traveled extensively in both the United States and overseas (France, Italy, China, etc.) with friends and family.  In addition to travel, she also loved to read and was an avid quilter.  Clara had a wonderful sense of humor and loved spending time with her family and friends laughing about the events of the day.  Clara will be remembered for her positive attitude and faithful words of encouragement in times of need.  She was adored and loved very dearly and will be very much missed.

In addition to her husband and son, Clara is survived by her sister Francis Maclin of Chicago IL; five nieces and nephews: Nijshua Maclin, Darren Maclin, Hosie (xxx) Richard, Gregory E. Smith and Delois Danyelle Smith: three god children: Solomon-David Jones, Sidney Sims and Austin Sims and numerous great nieces and nephews and friends. 

Two sisters Ardell Harper and Josephine King, Two brothers William E. Smith and Lee Manual Smith and one niece Janet Maclin preceded her in death.    

A memorial will be held on Saturday April 27, 2019 10AM at Baptist Fellowship Church, 195 Route 6 Columbia, CT 06237.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Clara Taylor’s name may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.

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