Gladys Marie McClain

A Life Devoted to God, Teaching and Loved Ones

There wasn't a child she couldn't teach, a church solo she couldn't slay or a social event she couldn't nail. Gladys Marie Harrison McClain, beloved wife and mother, lifelong teacher and integral community leader, passed away peacefully Jan. 9, 2026, surrounded by loved ones in the Washington, D.C., home she shared with her youngest daughter. She was 96.

Mrs. McClain, a longtime resident of Gaithersburg, Md., was the fifth of 10 children born to Leutisha and Sloan Harrison of Kansas City, Kansas. Raised during an era of poverty and racial segregation - "We were bused past six white schools to get to the one for Black kids" - Mrs. McClain grew to emulate the values of a supportive network of Black teachers and mentors and maintained a belief that every child could learn and deserved a well-rounded education.

She graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and earned a master's in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. Her first teaching job took her to a room overflowing with second-graders in Kansas City. Throughout her career, Mrs. McClain would preside over classes filled with pre-school to college-age students, though "seventh- and eighth-graders were my favorite," she said. She found them most receptive to the stories that delighted her, including those from William Shakespeare, Greek and Roman mythology and poets like Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Paul Laurence Dunbar. She retired in 1994 as assistant principal of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Md.

Mrs. McClain met and fell in love with the handsome, whipsmart Richard C. McClain, valedictorian of Kansas City's Sumner High School (Class of 1947), who had an easier grasp than she of algebraic algorithms and whatnot. On their first date, the 16-year-olds shared pineapple and strawberry sundaes, a ritual repeated every June 6, their first-date anniversary. When they married on Oct. 10, 1953, Mrs. McClain was escorted down the aisle by her older brother and flanked by her sisters, who wore iridescent taffeta bridesmaids' dresses in the colors of fall. The bride and groom remained a loving couple for 49 years, until Mr. McClain's death in 2002.

The McClains and their growing family lived in Kansas City and Santa Monica, Calif., before Mr. McClain's job took them to Hawaii. They remained there a blissful eight years before a new call to duty exiled them to Nebraska-in the winter no less. Mrs. McClain would never forget the blatant cruelty of that reassignment, crying copiously each and every time the C&H Sugar children sang that mercilessly melancholy TV commercial jingle. The family also lived in Guam, then returned briefly to Hawaii before settling in Gaithersburg, which served as homebase for more than 45 years.

Mrs. McClain often taught Sunday school, including a long stint at Redland Baptist Church in Derwood, Md. She also sang in the choir. When she wasn't performing solos, she sat in the soprano section. It provided the perfect vantage point for monitoring her children, who knew a single arched eyebrow signaled "sit up straight, stop that nonsense and act like you've got some sense up here in the house of the Lord!"

Her creative bent made Mrs. McClain the consummate entertainer. She would blanch at the mere suggestion of a potluck, preferring instead full control of menus for guest lists that often teetered near 100. Her experiences in Hawaii often had her (and her bevy of sous chef children) preparing fried wontons, egg foo yung, sweet and sour chicken and pineapple upside down cake. After a long evening of food and games, friends and family who visited her home always left laughing, full and looking forward to the next epic event. We can guarantee the angels are eating well today. Her school, church and family also benefitted from her creative spark as she was prolific in writing and directing numerous plays and musical productions. She was often called upon to use her oratory skills for various programs and events.

Mrs. McClain is survived by her children–Richelle, Richard (Sharon), Rhonda, Russell (Kishka-Kamari) and Robin–eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, her sister Beverly Thomas, and numerous cherished nieces and nephews.

A viewing will take place Jan. 30, 2026 at 10 a.m., followed by a service at 11 a.m. at Redland Baptist Church in Derwood, Md.