Claire Q. Weaver

Claire Quinn Weaver Claire Quinn Weaver, daughter of Robert Weaver and Jacque Quinn, passed away on Sunday, October 30th, due to complications from a heart attack. She was 26. Growing up in Boalsburg, Claire was a lively child, bubbling with songs and stories. She and her sisters imagined worlds in their backyard, playing games with the family dog, taking care of their three goats, climbing trees, and spending summers in the pool. As she grew into a captivating young woman, she lit up rooms with her easy charisma. She would have everyone in stitches over tales of serving dinner at a retirement home, always turning the ordinary into a lark. Claire adored caring for children. When she started teaching at a day care center, it was love at first sight. Kids flocked to her, climbing into her lap to share giggles and snacks. She understood their whimsy and play, and she knew peace and purity through their eyes. Claire graduated from State High in 2008. She enrolled at Penn State and switched her major with each new field she discovered - that is, until she signed up for her first Art History class. The same Claire who once hated when her family dragged her to a museum now spent hours enthralled by all types of art. She found kinship in the Art History Department and developed a passion for West African cultural art. Claire's professors supported her as she graduated early in 2011, after conducting multiple independent studies and research projects. Claire initially remained in State College to pursue her interest in real estate. However, her artistic heart knew its calling, and she began taking studio art classes to create an admissions portfolio. She applied to master's degree programs in Art Education, eventually deciding to attend Teacher's College at Columbia. She sculpted whole worlds of porcelain figurines in the basement ceramics studio and fell completely in love with New York City. After graduating in 2015, Claire fulfilled her dream of teaching art and caring for children. Claire was so full of life and adventure. She found comfort when painting, reading poetry, and exploring the city on long runs. She loved traveling and never turned down a new experience. Wherever she went, she made friends with animals: with swans in Denmark, cows in Austria, elephants in South Africa, and dogs all over the Upper West Side. Her sidekick, a tiny rescued Chihuahua named Bones, is an extension of her curious, resilient, and playful spirit. Throughout her life, Claire never hesitated. When she decided on a new path, she blazed ahead without looking back. She finished the New York Marathon without training for it and was honestly surprised when she soon developed tendonitis. The doctor looked aghast - of course she could barely walk, she ran a marathon without training! But she never thought of that when running. She simply knew she could finish whatever she decided to start. That isn't to say things came easy. She worked hard and fought harder and the last stretch often seemed impossible. But be it earning a master's or getting healthy or those last two miles of the New York Marathon, she always found a way. She was deeply loved and never had to fight alone. Claire got through it so many times. She chose life so many times. Claire lives on with her family and beloved dogs. In addition to her parents, she is survived by her older sister, Sarah, her younger sister, Chloe, her grandparents, Francis and Patricia Quinn, and extended family. Friends will be received at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, November 4, 2016, at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton Street, State College, PA. A service will follow at 6:00 p.m. She will be laid to rest in Boalsburg Cemetery the following morning. To celebrate her legacy, the family asks for donations in her name to Centre County PAWS, 1401 Trout Rd., State College, PA 16801.