Claire Rich Sanchini

Claire Rich Sanchini

Thousand Oaks - Claire Rich Sanchini, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, died peacefully Friday May 10 at Belmont Village, Thousand Oaks.

Claire was born on March 28, 1922 in Portland, Oregon, and grew up in New Jersey. As a child she was a gifted violinist, and played at many local events near her home in East Orange and later Short Hills, NJ. After high school she studied violin at the Yale Graduate School of Music, and was also awarded a BA in English from the University of Maryland, where she was a proud member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Claire went on to a rewarding career as a research assistant at CIBA and Schering Laboratories.

She met her beloved husband, Dominick J. Sanchini, at the Rutgers Law School night program. They were married in 1953 and moved to Southern California to pursue his career with Rocketdyne and raise their family. Claire and Dom lived in Tarzana until 1968, when they moved to Thousand Oaks. They had a second home in Colorado for some years as well, and Claire loved the Rockies and took up skiing at age 65.

Claire's lifelong interest in classical music continued as she played violin in local orchestras, most recently the Silver Strings of Thousand Oaks, until well into her eighties. She was also devoted to her many pets, including dogs, cats, chickens, and horses, and rode her favorite horse, Trouble, until his death when she was 77. She was an avid reader and crossword puzzle enthusiast, loved dancing, gardening, and traveling to Hawaii, and managed the family orange ranch in Fillmore. Her greatest love was her family, and her talents and varied interests enriched their lives.

Claire was predeceased by her husband, Dom Sanchini, in 1990. Both will live on in the many fond memories of their two daughters, Donna Perrin of Palos Verdes, CA and Rae Sanchini of Pacific Palisades, CA, six grandchildren, and five great-granddaughters.