Clairiece Gilbert Humphrey

Lilly “Clairiece” Gilbert Humphrey, 82, of Charlottesville, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 15, 2022. She was born on August 12, 1939, in Splashdam, VA. Her ancestors played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Haysi, VA area, in Southwest Virginia.

She is preceded in death by her father, Clyde Bascom Gilbert; her mother, Estelle Beavers Gilbert and her brother Dr. Clyde Darrell Gilbert.

Clairiece is survived by her husband of 62 years: Tony James Humphrey, one daughter: Aleisha Humphrey Schoenfelder, one son: Todd Gilbert Humphrey and his wife: Josephine Corigilano Humphrey, one granddaughter: Erin Elisabeth Schoenfelder-Gallant and her husband: Steve Michael Gallant, one grandson: Justin Christopher Humphrey, one great-granddaughter and name sake: Lilly Katherine Schoenfelder, special cousin: Wayne Mullins, and many sisters-in-law, brothers-in law, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and a special friend: Adrienne Granitz.

After graduating from Ervinton High School in Nora, VA, in 1957, she headed off to college. She graduated from Madison College in Harrisonburg, VA in 1959 with an Associate Degree in Business. Of note, she won the hula-hoop contest on campus in the spring of 1958!

Clairiece had a long career with the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, Department of Interior, retiring after 30 years. She didn’t stay retired long and found her way to Michie Tavern where she did everything from greet visitors and put them on their way for the tour or lunch in the tavern, to decorating Christmas trees and selling beautiful jewelry in the General Store gift shop to schooling you on antique guns in the Metal Smith Shop! The pandemic caused her to stop working at Michie Tavern, but her heart never left there.

She was a voracious reader, an eloquent writer and a poet. A treasured collection of her poems is held dear to the Family’s heart. During her home Hospice time, a family secret was revealed. While in college, she wrote her cousin Wayne’s high school Valedictorian speech for him, as nothing he wrote pleased either of them. He stated that people knew he didn’t write it, but he delivered the speech with strong conviction!

Clairiece loved to sing! For many years running, she sang in the Lyon’s Club Show held annually in Charlottesville and participated in the local Sweet Adeline’s. She was a member of her beloved St. Mark Lutheran Church choir for 50 years, actively singing for 48 years.

She loved to be outdoors. Whether it was digging in the dirt to plant flowers in her yard, taking family beach trips, or going to her beloved Blue Ridge Mountains with many a family trip to Humpback Rocks, and the visitor center Village. Only second to singing, was her love of fishing and she could out fish the best of them.

Clairiece loved to cook and frequently had recipes published in The Daily Progress and Southern Living magazine. In December 2001, she was chosen as “Cook of the Month” and an article featuring her and her Christmas Gumbo recipe was published in the special section of The Daily Progress known as “In The Kitchen”. Clairiece was constantly “creating” new recipes and experimenting on her family!

If you were fortunate to see inside her home, you know she loved her photographs. Family photographs, which she displayed over all the walls in her home. Many a trip down memory lane was taken while looking at those photographs!

And last, but not least, she was certainly “part Santa’s Elf”. She loved the Christmas season and enjoyed having family Christmas Eve gatherings, going to church and coming home to wait for the arrival of Santa!

To her family, she was known as “Mimi”. She was the family matriarch, loved by so many. There is comfort in knowing she will be all around us…in a song…on the breeze…in the mountains and in the crash of the ocean on the sand.

The family would like to specially thank Dr. Bruce Campbell, Dr. James Bergin, Legacy Hospice, the University of Virginia Hospital, Pastor Viktoria Parvin, and Adrienne Granitz.

A celebration of life will be held at St. Mark Lutheran Church at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in her name to Legacy Hospice or the American Heart Association.