Claire Komisar

Claire Komisar, (née Kerns) Passed away peacefully on May 23, 2026, at the age of 97, in the arms of her daughter Maureen Luddy. They were surrounded by her loving caregivers Villaflor (Flora) Moore and Rosalinda (Rosie) Sweet. Flora and Rosie were her devoted caregivers for the past eight years, treating Claire like their own mother and becoming chosen sisters to Maureen. Their kindness and love for her will never be forgotten. Claire was born on March 29, 1929, in Akron, Ohio, to parents Irwin and Frieda Kerns. The family moved to Milwaukee when she was just six months old. Claire was president of her BBG chapter and attended the State BBYO convention in Madison during her senior year of high school, where she met Morton Komisar — the love of her life. Mort had already graduated and was on leave from the army, brought in as a ringer to play in the AZA football game. It was love at first sight. They wrote letters while Mort served in the army, dated when he returned to college, and he pinned her with his AEPi fraternity pin. They were quickly engaged and married on June 25, 1950, sharing the most loving marriage for nearly 64 years until Mort’s passing on January 9, 2014. Claire is survived by her two children and their spouses, Maureen (David) Luddy and Martin (Gail) Komisar; grandchildren Noah Luddy, Randi (Eric) Schachter, and Bradley (Sarah) Komisar; and four great-grandchildren Jordan and Sloan Schachter and Simon and Allison Komisar. Further survived other nieces, nephews, relatives, and countless friends. Claire loved worldwide travel, especially cruises, with her beloved Mort. They took incredible trips to India, Africa, Russia, South America, China, Europe, East Asia, the Caribbean, and everywhere in between. She was proud to be a great shopper, finding treasures for her home and jewelry from around the world — and everything had a story to go with it. Claire was president of her ORT chapter and a member of the JNF Sapphire Society. She and Mort were generous donors to numerous Jewish and Zionist charities, always striving to make the world a better place. She was a wonderful friend to many, including the numerous remarkable people she met during her last ten years, while living at Chai Point. She loved to play Mah Jongg, bridge, and bingo — especially chocolate bingo. In fact, she loved everything chocolate! But most of all, she loved her family. From a young age she worked alongside family at Biltrite Furniture, the business founded by her father Irwin Kerns and his brother-in-law Sol Forman, originally established in Akron, Ohio, as an upholstery company. Sol was married to Rose Forman, the sister of Claire’s mother Frieda, making their families especially close. Each had one child — a daughter — so Claire grew up with her cousin Lucille (Forman) Frenkel as a sister, and spoke of her fondly in the final weeks of her life. Claire and Lucille helped at the store on a part-time basis when they were young. Claire attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison for a year before getting married, then returned to college after raising her children. She graduated from Mount Mary College with a degree in interior design in 1977. She put her degree to beautiful use helping customers at the store, bringing each one her full attention to ensure they got exactly what they wanted and needed. Even in her final years at Chai Point, she would try to sell new friends furniture. Claire was a kind and loving soul, known for always complimenting people and telling them how much she loved them. She adored live entertainment — theater, musical performances, and every show she could sign up for — first at Century Village and later at Chai Point. She had a serious case of FOMO and wouldn’t miss a thing. She had an especially close relationship with her daughter Maureen and her grandson Noah, whom she helped raise. For the last 15 years of her life, she saw or spoke with Maureen every single day, cherishing every moment they shared. When Maureen was just 16, they began attending art festivals. They kept up that beloved tradition throughout the years, acquiring no small amount of unique clothing and jewelry along the way. She loved color and brought color and joy wherever she went. She was a true Eishet Chayil — a Woman of Valor — and was almost always dressed in purple. When she was six years old, she met Janice (Apple) Zamsky, and they remained the closest of friends throughout their lives until Janice’s passing — sharing childhood adventures at Washington High School, and winters as snowbirds at Century Village in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Her Hebrew name was Chaya, and she lived her life with joy to her very last breath. A graveside service and burial will take place at Spring Hill Cemetery, 166 S Hawley Ct, on Monday, May 25, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., followed by a service, eulogies, and meal of consolation at the Rubenstein at Chai Point, 1400 N. Prospect Avenue. Shiva will be held at Claire’s apartment at Ovation Chai Point, 1400 N. Prospect Avenue, Apt. 701: Tuesday–Thursday 3–7 p.m. and Sunday, May 31, 3–6 p.m. Each day of Shiva will begin with a minyan at the Ovation synagogue before moving to the apartment. Donations to Ovation Chai Point are appreciated. To join via Zoom for graveside: When: May 25, 2026 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada) Topic: Claire Komisar Graveside Service Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88993625375?pwd=0c1OCLLdGlxxVoTfXcmamiX3L9qLAh.1 Passcode:Claire To join via Zoom at the Rubenstein: Topic: Maureen Luddy's Zoom Meeting Time: May 25, 2026 11:30 AM Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86394275104?pwd=anwuw5W9UFB0R0c7InwtienNeEUJ3A.1 Meeting chat link https://us02web.zoom.us/launch/jc/86394275104 Meeting ID: 863 9427 5104 Passcode: 564954 ---

Claire Komisar

March 27, 1929 - May 23, 2026