A Love of Costumes

Pilgrim Claire at the annual Westminster West School Thanksgiving.

Claire loved to dress in costume, be it Halloween, Thanksgiving or an Oscar Party. Her love of dress up and the freedom to create based around costume was contagious. She encouraged it in her students, friends and family. There was always a box of costumes in the Westminster West School and in our home for impromptu plays, or simply looking fine. Costumes also played an important part in Claire’s teaching about other cultures’ traditions, customs and arts.

After I moved from Vermont, I remember more than once receiving a package in the mail that had some wacky part of a costume she thought I would like. And when I was back for a visit she would often have costume items to send back with me. They were all well used and I now have my own costume box ready for dress-up at a moments notice. I will, like many of you, always think of Mom when I put on a costume for any event and it’ll make me smile to know she would be dressed up right along with me.  – Alice io

For more images of Claire, her friends, family and students in costume, please visit the Photo Galleries page.