Claiborne Glover

News Obituary Article

ATLANTA: Claiborne Glover, 83, Navy vet, romantic

By HOLLY CRENSHAW

Claiborne Glover sold life insurance for a living while harboring the soul of a true romantic.

He got teary-eyed listening to an Irish ballad or aria sung by Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti. He quoted from "Cyrano de Bergerac" and Shakespeare and composed his own poetry as a young man in the Navy.

He could equally rhapsodize over great art or fine wine or the perfect red tomato from his garden.

The romantic Atlanta native didn't quite marry the girl next door. His childhood sweetheart actually grew up a couple of doors down on Habersham Road.

Claiborne Van C. Glover Jr., 83, died of heart failure Jan. 26 at his Buckhead residence, 11 days after his wife of 58 years, Dorothy Grove Glover, died there. Mrs. Glover, 81, died of emphysema Jan. 15. The bodies were cremated. A private memorial service for Mr. and Mrs. Glover is planned. Wages & Sons Funeral Home, Stone Mountain, is in charge of arrangements.

"I think Dad had a sensitive nature that wasn't often displayed, but it came out in his love of his family and his love of music and his poems, some of which are quite extraordinary," said his son Dr. Claiborne Glover III of Athens, who would fall asleep as a child to the sound of his parents' laughter and opera records.

After earning degrees in electrical engineering and industrial management from Georgia Tech, Mr. Glover served in the Navy during World War II. He came back to his hometown, got married and worked as an independent life insurance agent for 40 years.

His career as a salesman was somewhat at odds with his introverted nature, said his daughter, Dorothy G. Gautier of Atlanta.

"But he loved meeting people and hearing their stories, so in a way it was a stretch and in a way it wasn't," she said. "His life was very rich --- not in the sense of opulence, but in the way he was so touched by everyday life."

Mr. Glover spent many hours contacting fellow ham radio enthusiasts around the world, retiring to the den to fiddle with its dials while his wife --- who had developed a passion for painting --- worked on her still lifes and landscapes.

For decades, the couple loved learning about wines together, with Mr. Glover making careful notes on 3-by-5 index cards.

Almost every weekend, they would plan a home cooked meal around an appropriate wine and share dinner by candlelight.

"He always referred to my mother as his bride, even after 58 years, and on many occasions he said he hoped they would die together," his son said. "So, except for 11 days, I guess he got his wish."

Survivors include another son, Dr. Lon Glover of Chattanooga; and four grandchildren.

© 2005 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution