October 16, 1926 – November 23, 2020
Clara was born in Poulsbo, WA to Hans and Alfhild Arnesen, recent Norwegian immigrants. The family lived with Tanta Lina and Uncle Julius until moving to West Seattle when she was 4. Clara had to repeat the first grade because she was not proficient in English, having spoken mainly Norwegian during her early years. However, she made up for it by skipping a later grade on her way to graduating from West Seattle High School in 1944. During high school and immediately afterwards, she worked as a salesclerk at the downtown Bon Marche, and copying airplane design drawings for Boeing.
In 1946, Clara married Donald S. Phillips, who had recently returned from overseas Navy duty, and they bought one of the first homes built in the new housing development called Mountlake Terrace. Some of their neighbors, like the Willitses, the Donaldsons and Burgesses, became life-long friends.
In 1958, the family, with four children, moved to Fairbanks, AK, where Don was stationed at Ladd Air Force Base, and three years later to Don’s next assignment at Nellis AFB near Las Vegas, NV. The family returned to Washington in 1964 upon Don’s retirement and settled in Edmonds. Don began a second career with Crowley Maritime, and with her children in school, Clara worked as a bank secretary, office manager and staff writer for the Everett Herald, where she covered religion and cultural topics. Her articles frequently involved interviews with a wide variety of local and national figures, including Rev. Billy Graham, Kathie Lee Gifford and Black Panthers founder, Eldridge Cleaver.
Clara’s favorite times were family gatherings, often accompanied by the Norwegian specialties she liked to cook, and she was a regular at the annual Sons of Norway lutefisk dinner. She also enjoyed boating with her husband aboard their Nordic Tug, R.V. traveling with friends, and in later years, her investment club. She made two trips to Norway to meet her many relatives. She was an active member of Edmonds Lutheran Church. Clara loved God, she loved her family and she loved her friends.
Clara was preceded in death by her husband, Donald, in 1993 after 47 years of marriage, her parents, sisters Marion Olin and Ruth Hammer, brother-in-law Agnar Hammer and infant granddaughter, Angela Phillips. She is survived by sons Mark (Sarah) Phillips and Tom (Brenda) Phillips, daughters Stephanie Phillips and Nancy (Mark) Dalen, and sister Arlene (Fidel) Gaviola. She is also survived by grandchildren Stephen Phillips, Amelia Phillips, Diane Acker, Joe Phillips, Monica Heid, Rick Phillips and Katie Eaves-Granados, eight great-grandchildren, as well as nieces Liesl Gaviola (Craig Stewart) and Camille Gaviola, and nephews Randy (Peggy) Olin, Anders (Jeanette) Olin, Karl Hammer, and Anthony (Nikka) Gaviola.
Clara’s family wishes to thank her doctors and nurses at Pac Med and Swedish Edmonds Hospital for their care, especially over the past year as her health declined, as well as the staff and her many friends at Mountlake Terrace Plaza, where she lived the last four years. A graveside burial service was held at Washelli Cemetery. Donations in Clara’s memory can be made to Lutheran World Relief, or another charity of your choice.
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