Claire Whiddon

Kathryn Claire Austin Whiddon, age 39, of Ashburn quietly and unexpectedly passed away at her home early Monday morning, January 27, 2025.
Claire and her twin brother, Ian, were born in Albany, Georgia, on December 22, 1985, to Darrell DeWayne Austin and Kathryn Poole Austin. Her maternal grandparents were the late Grady and Maxine Poole, and her paternal grandparents were the late James and Norma Austin, all of Ashburn, Georgia.
Claire, her brother, and older sister, Callie, were raised in a hardworking family in Cordele, Georgia, where she and her siblings attended Crisp County Schools. Claire graduated from Crisp County High School in 2004, where she excelled in academics, on the softball field, and as a competition cheerleader. She furthered her educational career at Georgia Southern University and Georgia Southwestern University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Education with a Major in Special Education and later a Masters of Education in Special Education. Having two parents who had longtime careers as educators inspired Claire to follow in choosing education as her career path. She was a much loved and respected Special Education teacher at Crisp County High School for 16 years. She loved children and helped so many young people discover a passion for learning.
Claire would tell us that her greatest achievement was that of being a wonderful mother to her two children, Owen and Martha, who were the highlight of her life. Anyone who knows them knows that she was the central figure in their lives, and that is all that mattered to her.
Survivors include Claire's children, Owen Henry Whiddon and Martha Grace Whiddon of Ashburn; her parents, Darrell and Kathryn Austin of Cordele; her brother, Ian A. Austin, of Atlanta; and her sister and her family, Callie A. and Luke Hammond and their daughters, Ryn and Meyer, of Woodstock. She is also survived by several aunts and uncles, Craig and Michelle Poole of Sycamore, Deborah and Ted Clark of Vienna, Vickie and Greg Brown of Ashburn, Donna and Ken NeSmith of Sycamore, Alan Austin of Newborn, Janice and Grant York of St. Augustine, and Bruce and Greta Austin of Knoxville, Tennessee; and a wealth of cousins. In addition to her grandparents, Claire was preceded in death by her uncle, Jimmy Walden.
The funeral service will be held at 4:00 PM on Friday, January 31, 2025, in the Chapel of Hughes and Wright Funeral Home in Cordele with Reverend Aaron Moore and Bruce Austin officiating. Visitation will be at the conclusion of the service.
For those that desire, the family is setting up an account for her children, Owen and Martha Grace, at South Georgia Banking Company in Ashburn for anyone inclined to donate to their future expenses and education.