Regina Claisse

MARICOPA — Regina Dorothy Claisse, 93, of Maricopa died Sept. 3, 2009 at St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center in Phoenix.

The funeral will be at 4 p.m. today at J. Warren Funeral Services, Cole & Maud The Gardens Chapel in Casa Grande, with Harley Faber officiating.

Mrs. Claisse was born Dec. 28, 1915 in Staten Island, N.Y., a daughter of Walter and Frances Organek, and raised in Bayonne, N.J. She met her future husband, Edward J. Claisse, when they both worked at Barnes & Noble bookstore in New York City. The company was being run by the founders, and she worked for G. Clifford Noble. The couple moved to Kansas City after World War II when Trans World Airlines, which Edward had worked for during the war, moved its overhaul operations there. They raised three children in Kansas City, where their two sons graduated from Rockhurst University and their daughter was a Chiefette for the Kansas City Chiefs and then one of the youngest buyers for Macy’s. Edward died at 53 from a heart attack and Mrs. Claisse lived in Kansas City in her home until 1992. She moved to Phoenix, where her daughter had relocated in 1986 to continue her career in retailing with Broadway Southwest.

Mrs. Claisse was an excellent cook in her own kitchen, focused on Italian, Polish and other family recipes. For many years her recipe for fruitcake, marinated in bourbon, was a family favorite during holidays. She “lived in the moment” and was always most interested in getting to know the latest person she had met. She kept in touch with family and friends by frequent phones calls and personal letters. People looked forward to meeting and hearing from her and getting her many compliments. Her favorite expression as a parting comment to women friends was “Stay pretty!” She loved eating out and enjoying seafood and many ethnic dishes, especially at Red Lobster, where she knew many of the staff on a first-name basis.

Survivors include her daughter, Claudia Arterberry of Maricopa; two sons, Hayden E. Claisse of San Marino, Calif., and Alan F. Claisse of Phoenix; a sister, Clarie Canavan of Princeton, N.J.; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by two brothers and two sisters.