Tribute by David Lee

When Claire was learning to speak she didn’t call herself a baby version of her name, as little children often do. Our sister was different in this regard (as she was with many things) she clearly called herself "Hopper Street" after where we lived in central Wellington. Hopper Street as a name has an almost Hollywood 'celebrity' ring to it, which seems to have set the tone of her life. Dad alone continued to use it as a nickname for her, affectionately abbreviating it to 'Hopper'. Dad would often say, with some disappointment, that Hopper wasn't a child who liked sitting quietly on your knee.

Claire in childhood was a leader and organiser of all sorts of imaginative activities. She started what she called her 'Plaster Mould Company' in a spare bedroom in which we produced and painted all sorts of ornaments using rubber moulds and plaster of Paris from Tingey’s in Manners Street. She was also very keen at acting and would often conscript us siblings into one of her plays. She once picked me as the straw man for her production of the "Wizard of Oz", a role I resented a bit, imagining there was a bit of type casting going on.

Claire was enterprising in other ways too, starting a neighbourhood beer bottle collection (in those days you could get 10 pence a dozen). I was the junior partner, in what she called ‘Lee & Pee Bottle-oers’ (Claire had her own particular sense of humour). We dragged a trolley around the streets, with Claire shrewdly targeting the local drunks' abodes to get the best hauls of empties.

But Claire was also an "enfant difficile", the heavy burden of which rested a great deal on my poor mother. My earliest memory of her was when she stripped me naked and shut me outside in the middle of winter. Mum, who had popped next door to give a neighbour some soup, returned to find me happily playing in that state, although I ended up with pneumonia!

Claire's interest in drama continued into her teenage years. Her Richard III impressions were quite scary. She once had a walk-on role as a maid in a play and made such a powerful impression that she stole the show. However she never thought she was any good. That didn't stop her creating drama of a less entertaining nature at home.

Claire grew into a very vivacious, stylish and wilful young woman. She was a good dresser and maintained an expensive wardrobe to the end of her life. She was very sophisticated for her time with a taste for all things what were then called 'continental': such as foreign films, vodka, and foreign boyfriends. However as much as she liked all things 'continental' she detested smoking. Claire was always her own person.

Claire was a talented dancer and won a gold medal for ballroom. She taught me the quickstep for my first dance to the tune of 'Black leather trousers and motor cycle boots'.

She was 'avant guard' with food also, introducing the family to such exotica as vienner schnitzel, coffee, olive oil, yoghurt and garlic, getting some ribbing from us for doing so. Dad would moan at her: "why don't you drink tea like a kiwi?” He ended up drinking only coffee and would from time to time be reminded of his transformation away from 'kiwi’ tea.

Claire loved books and when she left school was sole charge of the children's department of South's Book Shop, a Wellington institution which used to be near Stewart Dawson's. After this she trained as a beautician. Claire once went for a job at Kirkcaldies or James Smiths. When told she would have to wear makeup she replied that she was wearing it and that the art of wearing makeup and perfume was in not making it too obvious.

Claire was ahead of her time also in realising the harm sunbathing did to the skin and would invariably wear a stylish hat to protect hers. Claire's beautiful skin in old age is a testament to her skin care knowledge.

She was also 'leading edge' in other ways too in having a 'toy boy' long before they were officially invented!

Claire was a proud mother of her two sons Chris and Davy and grandmother to Tobias.

There was a touch of Vivian Leigh about Claire (even more so her screen character Scarlet O'Hara). Like Vivian Leigh, Claire's life was blighted by mental illness, the long shadow of which fell over the family.

Our mother said Nat King Cole's "Rambling Rose" reminded her very much of Claire. Many things could be said about her. One thing she wasn't was boring.

Claire has at last found some peace. Mum's rambling rose is rambling no more.

Service Information: Date: Time: Location: 28/06/2012 11:00 a.m. Saint Patrick's Catholic Church Paraparaumu