Clare Marie DeVries

Clare M. DeVries, age 85 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Friday, July 26, 2024.

Clare was born April 1, 1939, to Michael and Elizabeth (Cullen) Adamo.  Clare attended St Nick’s elementary school in Passaic NJ and graduated from Clifton High School class of 1957.  Clare’s remembrances of high school are Poppy’s, The Eldorados, and her many friends.

Clare was devoted to raising her three sons, which was more effort than any full-time job. When the boys were old enough to fend for themselves, she took a job with NJ Bell Telephone in Paterson. She spent most of her career there proof-reading copy for the yellow pages, and later she worked at data conversion and data entry into their computer system. She was with Ma’ Bell (and later Verizon) from about 1976 until her retirement in 2001.

Clare met her husband, Florin Gerald DeVries of Passaic, NJ, and romance led to their wedding on June 9, 1962. They settled into a one-bedroom apartment in Clifton, where the family grew to include three sons and two German shephards. In 1970, the family moved to Passaic, NJ and then in 1985 they settled in Wayne. After her husband, Florin, passed away, Clare enjoyed thirty years of loving companionship with Bob Buyck, also of Wayne. They vacationed in Florida, took trips to Atlantic City, and they both loved doing the Sunday Times crossword together. Sadly, Clare’s heart was broken when Bob passed away in 2022.

Clare, who was graced with the nickname “Bunnie,” enjoyed many roles and hobbies during her lifetime. An avid reader, she travelled the world through her beloved books, and kept an alphabetized logbook of every title she had read. The final tally is 1,819 books. Clare was also a lifelong friend of dogs and cats, and she always had pets in the house. House plants adorned her home and her African violets seemed to be in constant bloom. She also filled countless hours doing crochet, and almost all of the items she made were gifted to friends and family. Each of her creations are now treasured memories of Clare’s handiwork. She kept her mind sharp doing crossword puzzles and “Words with Friends.” The Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle was among her favorite. Clare also made a daily broadcast on her social media, wishing “Good Morning” to all her friends. This, too, will be missed by all.

Among Clare’s most cherished role of all, was being a mother to William, Florin, and Mark. They are her greatest joy, and each of them will miss her dearly.

Clare is survived by her three sons: William DeVries and his wife Tammy, Florin DeVries, and Mark DeVries and his wife Rita. She is the loving grandmother of Amanda Conklin and her husband Jon, Roxanne DeVries, and Clayton DeVries, and great-grandmother of Vienna & Rylee Conklin and Josephine Clement. She is also survived by her sister Elizabeth Leppert and her husband Ed, and niece; Erin Gaughan.