Clemence Hope Grigor

Clemence Hope Grigor, born in New York City on December 8, 1937, passed away on January 29, 2026, surrounded by her loving children.
Clemence attended Lycee Francais in New York City and later Mamaroneck High School, where she excelled academically and graduated with honors at fifteen. During high school, she also revealed her creative spirit, performing in musicals and sharing her lovely singing voice. She went on to attend Syracuse University, earning her bachelor’s degree with distinction. While in college, she drafted screenplays and directed stage performances, further expressing her love of storytelling and the arts. In 1959, she married George T. Grigor, owner of The Chicken Box and Tummy’s Delight in Larchmont.
For more than 25 years, Clemence served as the office manager for an international antiquarian book dealer, a role that perfectly matched her love of literature, history, and precision. In the evenings, she also worked as a book editor, combining her sharp eye for detail with her passion for the written word.
Clemence was a remarkable linguist. She spoke French, Latin, and Spanish fluently, and could read and understand Italian and German. Her curiosity and love of history extended deeply into her own family’s story. A dedicated and expert genealogist, she traced her family heritage back to the 1500s. She volunteered at the Family Genealogy Center, where she helped others discover their ancestral roots.
Clemence is predeceased by her parents, Yvonne Clemence Campion Barber and Conrad Hope Barber, and her husband, George T. Grigor. She is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Cynthia and Craig Markey; her four children, Nancy Rivera (Tony Rivera), Pamela Terlizzi (James Terlizzi), Kathleen Morabito (Chris Morabito), and George T. Grigor (Renee Grigor); eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren; and many nieces, and nephews all of whom were the light of her life.
A private ceremony will be held in the spring at St. Mary’s Church in Tuxedo, NY.