Clara Ivanoff Obituary

Clara Ivanoff Passed away peacefully on November 25, 2010 at the age of 100. Born on April 19, 1910 in Elisabethgrad, Russia. Survived the Russian Revolution and fled to Shanghai, China in 1926. There she became a well-known dancer in the many high-end hotels and ballrooms and toured throughout the Far East. It was in 1945 Shanghai where Clara married her husband, Vasia, and had their daughter, Vera, in 1948. After fleeing China in 1949, they finally immigrated to San Francisco, California in 1950 and made their home. Clara will always be remembered by her family and friends as a strong-willed woman of many accomplishments. She taught herself how to sew and garden, and became an exceptional cook and baker. She worked at San Francisco State University in the cafeteria for 15 years, during which time she had her own successful catering business. Throughout her life, Clara was known as a spitfire. She was always active and energetic. Her generous and kind spirit was an inspiration to many of her family and friends. She was a long-time member of the Far Eastern Society of San Francisco. Beloved wife of the late Vasia Ivanoff; loving mother of Vera Loewer; adoring grandmother of Jennifer and Danielle Loewer; devoted sister of the late Mike and Jack Lesagorsky. Services will be held on Friday, December 3, 2010, at 1:00PM at Eternal Home Cemetery Chapel, 1051 El Camino Real, Colma, CA. In lieu of flowers donations to the American Lung Association, preferred.

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Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Nov. 29 to Nov. 30, 2010.

Memories and Condolences
for Clara Ivanoff

3 Entries

Alicia Bruder

December 9, 2010

My great Aunty Clara was a beautiful woman! She had a few eccentricities.. but what early 20th century born Russian woman doesn't.. especially in our family. It is what endeared us all to her.

Clara was a very delicate, petite woman with the personality of a fully armored gladiator. At the annual Christmas party or the summer reunion, if Clara CHOSE to speak with you, she would sweetly call out your name once or twice: "Alicia... Alicia...", to which you didn't dare do anything other than march over to her side to be with her for the next half hour in conversation. There was no grand fist nor household rule governing this to be the case, but Clara's voice and presence at its smallest was so magestic that whether you were engrossed in conversation with your cousins or helping cook in the kitchen, you would drop everything and go to her when she called you just because she chose you.

Conversations with Clara were always special. In a full day, you might "catch up" with everyone through the celebrating with a little small talk here and there yet never really spend enough time with any one person.. except for Clara. Clara could repeat her lustrous stories of dancing, repeat advice about taking care of your health, repeat her comments about staying young, and give the same exact compliments as the years before, but in between the expected were conversation pieces that left me feeling truly connected to her. She was so present, so passionately interested in what each person had to say, so inspirational.. and above all, so proud of the family around her. So proud that it became an honor to sit by her side and listen as she reminisced about stories you could listen to a million times over! I loved my Aunty Clara.

My first vivid memory of Clara was as a little girl, visiting with my parents and sisters at their house in San Francisco. I remember Uncle Vasia going to get us ice cream (which was a rare treat) while Clara had us girls mesmerized by her enthusiasm. She showed us pictures of Aunty Vera when she was young along with baby pictures of Jennifer and Danielle, telling us details about each captured moment, and for the grand finale she pulled out a home video she had of them all together having a good time. I don't remember the exact contents of the video.. Uncle Vasia probably returned with the ice cream.. but I do remember even at such a young age realizing how proud Clara was of her family. That never changed.

Over the years, Clara taught me many things that I will carry with me throughout the journey of my life. And for a such a tiny, graceful, dancer, it never surprised me that her animal spirit of choice was an elephant,.. or that she lived to be 100 years old,.. or that she chose to leave us on Thanksgiving Day, so that we could give her a day of remembrance suitable to a woman of her stature for years to come.

Thank you Clara for giving us all of those extra years to marvel at you. May you rest in peace and happiness. I love you.

Victoria Mikulewicz

December 1, 2010

You will always be in my heart, Aunty Clara. I loved your spunk (and your apple rolls) and I will miss you dearly. I love you, Victoria

November 30, 2010

With deepest sympathy. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Love, Thelma Welch

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