Claire (Clara Louise Wheat) Parish

Claire was born on September 4, 1922, in San Antonio, Texas, to Calvin and Alabel Wheat. The family moved to Houston, then to Kansas City, Missouri, where Claire attended school and excelled in athletics. She had an older brother Bill and younger brother "Buck", both of whom she adored. Upon graduation from high school in 1940, Claire moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas. She joined Delta Delta Delta Sorority, an association that she maintained and enjoyed for a lifetime. It was also where she met and fell in love with a chemical engineering student named Charles Wayne Parish. When he graduated and left for officer candidate school at Yale, she followed him to New Haven, Connecticut, where they were married. After World War II, they settled in Dallas where they built a business and raised a family.

In 1978 after Wayne's death, Claire moved to Austin. She worked as an executive secretary, then began investing in real estate. She finally turned her lifelong love of dogs into an operation where she could dog-sit for friends and family. She left Austin for Lockhart then moved to McDade to be close to family.

Claire's love of dogs became a passion for Miniature Schnauzers. She owned eight of them over the years and took all of them through obedience training. She also groomed her beautiful dogs and taught many other Schnauzer owners to groom their dogs. She was always willing to help anyone with questions or problems with dogs, whom she jokingly said were superior to most people.

Claire is survived by her two children, Dale Wayne Parish and Helen Ruth Parish, her four grandchildren, Matthew Wayne Parish, Amy Marie Parish, Charles Roy Parmley, and Chance Lane Parmley, four great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial celebration will be held on Monday, May 9th, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home at 3125 N. Lamar in Austin.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Austin Humane Society or Austin Dog Alliance.