Mrs. Claire Brandler DeSilver, widow of George Burnham DeSilver, died peacefully at home in Northford on Dec. 28, 2013. Born Claire Brandler in New York City in 1925, she spent most of her adult life in Manhattan and Connecticut and many of her later years in Naples, Florida.

After attending the Universities of Iowa and Wisconsin, Claire’s desire for social justice drew her to work as a labor organizer in several cities and as journalist, contributor, and editor for numerous publications. She later had her own design business in Connecticut and New York, and was a retired member of the American Society of Interior Decorators. In a life rich with service to her community, Claire was notably a former president of the Greenwich Village Homeowners Association, 1966 to 1967, achieving landmark status for three blocks there, and in 1995, founder and past president of the Pelican Bay Mangrove Action Group in Naples, Florida.

Claire is survived by her daughter Susan DeSilver; her granddaughter Margaret DeSilver Bleicher; and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her beloved son George Steven DeSilver, Margaret’s father.

Claire was a passionate supporter of the arts, wildlife, and the environment, and maintained a lifelong commitment to human and civil rights. She will be remembered for her deep intelligence, generosity, and her ability to organize disparate interests for common good.

Memorial contributions may be made to Amnesty International.