Claudia B. Willey

With family and friends by her side, Claudia Ann Willey peacefully passed away on May 8, 2021.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Eugene Birch Willey, her parents, Claude
Adolphus and Ruth McCurry Brown, and her sister, Mamie Ruth Williams.
Raised in a nurturing family that fostered civic-mindedness, Claudia was born in Little Rock,
Arkansas on November 29, 1931. From the very beginning, it was clear that her love for life
would be a blessing to all who met her.
As a little girl, even while battling Tuberculosis for over a year in the hospital, she learned to
appreciate the beauty in others and to embrace the simple pleasures of existence. These gifts,
coupled with an ever-growing devotion to her faith, carried her through the years.
From Little Rock Central High School to the University of Arkansas and beyond, Claudia was an
academic natural. Her unwavering attention to detail historically garnered the awareness and
accolades of students and faculty alike. While attending the university whose motto is “To
Advance with Truth as Our Leader,” she not only embraced the Razorback ideals but also,
carried them until the end of her days.
Claudia championed the philanthropy of her college sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, and while at the
university, she caught the eye of a fellow student - the man she would come to know as her
soulmate. Eugene Birch Willey, who she lovingly called Birch and her “forever boyfriend,” was
the impetus for earning her degree in three years instead of four, as she wanted to graduate
alongside the man with whom she planned to share her happily ever after.
Within weeks of turning-their-tassels together, Claudia and Birch were married in September of
1952. The newlyweds then took to the road as their adventure brought them first to our
nation’s capital where each held a career of great distinction. Birch served as a United States Air
Force Intelligence Officer at the National Security Agency; and Claudia put to use her business
degree and keen ability to chronicle events of every nature as she landed a coveted position
with the United States Department of Defense. While working at the Pentagon, her meritorious
service on numerous top-secret, government projects earned the respect of her peers and
became her signature trademark.
Years later, destiny called and a move to South Florida to tend to the care and well-being of
Birch’s parents and the management of their “Tarrymore” apartment complex lay on the
horizon. Forever committed to family and praying to start one of her own, Claudia answered
the call to move to Florida with a resounding “yes” as she and Birch bid farewell to the District
of Columbia.
Once in Fort Lauderdale, a chance encounter with a seasonal guest at the “Tarrymore”
apartments presented an opportunity to venture into the unchartered waters of the photofinishing industry. Settling into this fast-growing business, the couple made Broward County their permanent home and soon, Claudia began to work her magic in the community that to
this day holds tender affection for her many contributions.
Joining First Presbyterian Church in 1959, Claudia shared her love of God with the congregation
and the many children with whom she graced with her time and affection during her sixty years
as a Sunday school teacher.
With the long-awaited arrival of her two daughters, Claudia’s prayers were answered. Together,
she and her growing family continued to walk with the Lord as they enjoyed a lifetime of special
bonds forged on family camping trips, homemade holidays, bountiful birthdays and in her final
years, moments held in silence as her loving gaze spoke the words she could no longer utter.
While she and her soulmate raised their girls, her efforts to support the development of young
lives through volunteerism never waned. From “pop-top” fundraising campaigns for the Ronald
McDonald House to spending her Saturday’s making brown-bag lunches and driving in her 1969
Chevy Convertible Impala (Old Red) to deliver them to the hungry participants at the many
projects for Habitat for Humanity, Claudia’s activism was paramount.
Claudia was also a fierce advocate for the Head Start Early Learning Coalition and given an
award for selflessly contributing the most volunteer hours in the county. She was the go-to
team mother and class mother, a member of various Parent-Teacher-Associations, and even
spearheaded a plan that successfully lobbied the Broward County School Board to reinstate
sixth grade for one year as a part of Harbordale Elementary School instead of Rogers Middle
School.
As if her plate was not yet full, when Bonnet House Museum & Gardens began to open its Fort
Lauderdale doors to the public for guided tours of the historic estate, Claudia was among the
first group of volunteer docents. She became one of the most treasured guides, lovingly
enhancing the guest experience with her lively and historically based knowledge. Holding the
position of Bonnet House Museum & Gardens Alliance Historian, Claudia’s talents and attention
to detail, once again shined. She assumed the responsibility as the “Maker and Keeper of the
Scrapbooks.” Thus, turning another page in her textbook of life.
Now, with her final chapter at a close, we must learn to live with the love she left – all the
while, breathing easier because she lived her life with grace, humility, respect, devotion, and
affection.
She is survived by the memories held fast in the heart and by her devoted daughters, Diane Nell
Willey; and Jean Ann Willey and her wife, Maria Lescano; her nephew, Finley Brown Williams
and his wife, Linda, of Willets, California; her niece, Ruth McCurry and her husband, Mark
Oswald, and their son, of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and her nephew, David Wheeler Williams and
his wife, Vicki, and their children of Little Rock, Arkansas.
While the “earth laughs in flowers,” reminding us to pay attention to the fleeting eclipses of
life, the family suggests that in lieu of blossoms, memorial donations be made to Bonnet House, Inc., 900 North Birch Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304, Attention: Darla Stanton or through their
website’s “Donate Button” at www.BonnetHouse.org. Should a remembrance wish to be
shared with the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale, they welcome memorial
donations in Claudia’s name at 401 Southeast 15th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.

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