Clara Vanessa Grammer

As a student, she attended Sidney Lanier Elementary, and graduated with the class of 1973 from Glynn Academy. Throughout her childhood, she developed a love of dance. She studied under the direction of local greats like Earle Bagley and Gail Moore inside the walls of the Brunswick Recreation Center. Her passion and talent for dance took her on adventures studying and performing with The Joffrey Ballet of New York, New York Ballet Theatre, Columbia Ballet of South Carolina, and the summer productions of Drumbeats in Georgia on Jekyll Island.

Upon moving to Warner Robins when her husband enlisted in the Air Force, she opened her own dance studio, Clara Grammer School of Dance, to share her love of dance and affinity for teaching with the children of middle Georgia. After returning to the Golden Isles in 1988, she continued teaching dance for The Academy of Dance, Jessica Dominey School of Dance and Jill Stanford School of Dance. She eventually reopened her own studio in Darien, Ga.

During this time, she continued to grow her passion for teaching by pursuing her Associate Degree from Brunswick Community College, her Bachelor’s of Education from Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, and later, her Master’s of Education from Cambridge College of Boston. She served as a fifth-grade teacher at Todd Grant Elementary and Oak Grove Intermediate School, of McIntosh County for 17 years.

Only in recent years, she stopped teaching dance, and brought her talents to the fourth graders and staff at Sterling Elementary School of Glynn County. Throughout the community, she is known for pushing her students, whether dance or grade school, to the fullest of their potential with a firm but loving hand. “Can’t” was a four letter word in her classrooms, and “Won’t” was unacceptable. All in all, she spent over 40 years teaching dance, and 20 years teaching in the public school system, touching many lives along the way. Her love and compassion was not lost on her family and friends either. She was always a devout loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, sister-in-law, cousin and friend.

She is predeceased by her father, a Navy veteran, Maurice Thomas Hand, and loving mother, Annie Pauline Jones Bowen of Brunswick, Ga.; as well as her brother, of Vero Beach, Fla., Thomas Hand (Rose Hand).

She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Lanny Grammer of Brunswick, Ga.; son-Ivan Grammer and family (Naomi Grammer) of Cocoa Beach, Fla.; daughter-Olivia Grammer Kleinhans and family (Drew Kleinhans) of Roswell, Ga.; four grandchildren-Anders Kleinhans and Olsen Kleinhans of Roswell, Ga., and Elijah Allred and Dominic Allred of Cocoa Beach, Fla.; sister-Paula Jordan, sister-Joedna McDowell (Warren McDowell), sister-Rhonda Hand (Tarvin Rhodes); brother-Sidney Hand (Charlotte Hand); sister-in-law-Lisa Johnson (Chopper Johnson), all of the Golden Isles; sisters of central Florida-Iva Pittman and Alice Dixon; and numerous nieces and nephews including Monica Okie, John Thomas Brooks, Indea Beckum, Nick Zorn, Allie Zorn, Meg Hand, John Hand, Matt Hand, Clinton Johnson, Becky Wise and Danny Hand.

In lieu of flowers, should friends desire, the Clara Grammer Teacher’s Fund has been established in her honor for the teachers of Sterling Elementary. The fund will help offset out-of-pocket expenses incurred by teachers as they enhance their classroom learning environments.

Donations may be made through https://paypal.me/pools/c/898VEE7JTz or checks written payable to Sterling Elementary.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, 2018, in Twitty Chapel at First Baptist Church of Brunswick, 708 Mansfield St.

Immediately following, a reception will be held at the Brunswick City Recreation Building located near Howard Coffin Park, at 1412 Sonny Miller Way.

Family, friends and loved ones are invited to fellowship and share memories.