Obituary for Anne Klemmer
Anne S. Klemmer, 94, Mother, Artist, Bibliophile
Anne S. Klemmer 1928 – 2022
June 15, 2022. New York., New York.
Anne (“Nan”) S. Klemmer, 94, of New York City and formerly Chappaqua, mother,
grandmother, teacher, artist, reader, and master gardener, died today of natural causes.
A complex fusion of a traditional Catholic mother and modern feminist advocating for women’s place
in the world of work and public affairs, she raised seven children, and was also a teacher, school
librarian, gallerist and writer. She served on the board of the Katonah Art Gallery and co-curated a
successful show of Mayan art and antiquities, gathering pieces from many institutions, including
the Harvard and Penn museums. Later, Nan pursued her love of history and literature by
researching and writing a biography of Mary Young Cheney Greeley, the wife of journalist and
politician, Horace Greeley, whose homestead sat yards away in Chappaqua, NY. While never published, the biography depicted Mary Greeley’s advocacy for women, her challenging marriage and her work as a school teacher and suffragette.
After moving back to NYC in 2014, Nan maintained her interest in the arts, gardening and literature, with frequent visits to art institutes, gardens, and performances. She also continued to hone her portrait art and piano playing, producing finished oil paintings and short piano recitals. As a master gardener, Nan was a veritable encyclopedia of plant species, Latin nomenclature and growing patterns, and could be relied on for advice on what thrives where and when, regardless of the landscape or habitat being cultivated.
Anne Therese Serena Klemmer was born March 31st , 1928 and raised in Brooklyn, NY by her parents Francis John and Margaret Elizabeth (Flood) Serena. Frank worked in insurance after an early stint in the American Hat Company factory. Margaret was a bookkeeper and homemaker. Nan was the valedictorian of her class at St. Brendan’s High School and had the highest score on the Brooklyn Diocese Catholic College Entrance Exam winning a full scholarship to St. Joseph’s College for Women. She graduated with honors and pursued an early career in advertising and as a model. It is in the latter role that Capt. Raymond Klemmer spotted her and began a courtship, while he flew jets for the Army-Air Force.
Anne S. Klemmer 1928 – 2022
They were married in 1952 and subsequently settled in Chappaqua, NY where they lived
for 56 years. After many years of a good and blessed marriage, Raymond pre-deceased
her in 2008. Along with her Catholic faith and deep belief in the value of a good education, Nan’s lifelong love affair with the world of ideas and books was well noted. Her reading was voluminous and wide-ranging. Her finest possession, according to her telling, was a copy of the fifty-volume set of the Harvard Classics (Eliot’s Five Foot Shelf) which she purchased for $20 when times were lean in her early adulthood. Nan’s proudest legacy and greatest devotion was to her family. In addition to her seven children, she nurtured and mentored 22 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren and served as counsel to countless others.
She is survived by her brother-in-law Kenneth of Camden, ME, and her seven children, Timothy (Jane) of
Briarcliff Manor, Anthony (Jennifer) of Newport RI, Andrew of Scarsdale NY, Gregory (Alexandra) of Needham MA, Elizabeth of New York City, Dr. Sarah Girardi of Mt. Kisco, NY, and Katherine (Tom) Terry of Bedford NY, and by her twenty two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday June 20, 2022, at 11.00am, at Saint
John & Saint Mary Church, 30 30 Poillon Drive , Chappaqua, NY 10514
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to: St. Joseph’s College,
245 Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205 https://giving.sjcny.edu/donation-form/
A reception will be held after burial at Sarah Girardi’s home, 570 Millwood Road, Mt.
Kisco, NY.
(From Fair Ridge Cemetery continue north on Quaker Road, turn right onto Seven
Bridges Road, at light turn right onto Millwood Road. 570 is a short way up on left (tight
left turn!). Total distance 2.9 miles from cemetery.)
Anne S. Klemmer 1928 – 2022
June 15, 2022. New York., New York.
Anne (“Nan”) S. Klemmer, 94, of New York City and formerly Chappaqua, mother,
grandmother, teacher, artist, reader, and master gardener, died today of natural causes.
A complex fusion of a traditional Catholic mother and modern feminist advocating for women’s place
in the world of work and public affairs, she raised seven children, and was also a teacher, school
librarian, gallerist and writer. She served on the board of the Katonah Art Gallery and co-curated a
successful show of Mayan art and antiquities, gathering pieces from many institutions, including
the Harvard and Penn museums. Later, Nan pursued her love of history and literature by
researching and writing a biography of Mary Young Cheney Greeley, the wife of journalist and
politician, Horace Greeley, whose homestead sat yards away in Chappaqua, NY. While never published, the biography depicted Mary Greeley’s advocacy for women, her challenging marriage and her work as a school teacher and suffragette.
After moving back to NYC in 2014, Nan maintained her interest in the arts, gardening and literature, with frequent visits to art institutes, gardens, and performances. She also continued to hone her portrait art and piano playing, producing finished oil paintings and short piano recitals. As a master gardener, Nan was a veritable encyclopedia of plant species, Latin nomenclature and growing patterns, and could be relied on for advice on what thrives where and when, regardless of the landscape or habitat being cultivated.
Anne Therese Serena Klemmer was born March 31st , 1928 and raised in Brooklyn, NY by her parents Francis John and Margaret Elizabeth (Flood) Serena. Frank worked in insurance after an early stint in the American Hat Company factory. Margaret was a bookkeeper and homemaker. Nan was the valedictorian of her class at St. Brendan’s High School and had the highest score on the Brooklyn Diocese Catholic College Entrance Exam winning a full scholarship to St. Joseph’s College for Women. She graduated with honors and pursued an early career in advertising and as a model. It is in the latter role that Capt. Raymond Klemmer spotted her and began a courtship, while he flew jets for the Army-Air Force.
Anne S. Klemmer 1928 – 2022
They were married in 1952 and subsequently settled in Chappaqua, NY where they lived
for 56 years. After many years of a good and blessed marriage, Raymond pre-deceased
her in 2008. Along with her Catholic faith and deep belief in the value of a good education, Nan’s lifelong love affair with the world of ideas and books was well noted. Her reading was voluminous and wide-ranging. Her finest possession, according to her telling, was a copy of the fifty-volume set of the Harvard Classics (Eliot’s Five Foot Shelf) which she purchased for $20 when times were lean in her early adulthood. Nan’s proudest legacy and greatest devotion was to her family. In addition to her seven children, she nurtured and mentored 22 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren and served as counsel to countless others.
She is survived by her brother-in-law Kenneth of Camden, ME, and her seven children, Timothy (Jane) of
Briarcliff Manor, Anthony (Jennifer) of Newport RI, Andrew of Scarsdale NY, Gregory (Alexandra) of Needham MA, Elizabeth of New York City, Dr. Sarah Girardi of Mt. Kisco, NY, and Katherine (Tom) Terry of Bedford NY, and by her twenty two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday June 20, 2022, at 11.00am, at Saint
John & Saint Mary Church, 30 30 Poillon Drive , Chappaqua, NY 10514
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to: St. Joseph’s College,
245 Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205 https://giving.sjcny.edu/donation-form/
A reception will be held after burial at Sarah Girardi’s home, 570 Millwood Road, Mt.
Kisco, NY.
(From Fair Ridge Cemetery continue north on Quaker Road, turn right onto Seven
Bridges Road, at light turn right onto Millwood Road. 570 is a short way up on left (tight
left turn!). Total distance 2.9 miles from cemetery.)