Claire Sill O’Connor Frisch

Claire was born October 10th, 1930 at Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield, California to Gertrude Doll and Dan Sill. She was the youngest of three daughters. They lived in Taft, CA until 1935 and then they moved to Bakersfield. While in Bakersfield, Claire was educated at St. Joseph’s School then East Bakersfield High. She maintained an active social calendar filled with friends and school clubs. The friendships she formed during these years would stay with her throughout her life and travels. After graduating high school, Claire followed her passion and skill as a pianist at Colorado Women’s College earning a degree in music. It was a degree that benefited the generations under her that had the great joy of listening to her play. She played piano for many years for the residents of Brookdale at Sunday Services. Claire continued her education at the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1956. Afterwards, she returned to California and practiced pediatric nursing at the University of San Francisco until meeting and marrying John J. O’Connor in 1957. She found her nursing skills were quite handy raising their 5 children. Claire, John, and their children moved several times to follow John’s work. Starting in San Carlos, they moved to Houston, Texas, then Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before returning to Southern California. Returning to nursing part time in 1976, she continued until John’s retirement in 1984. They traveled the world and visited their growing family, with weddings and grandchildren, until John’s death in 1990. Claire returned to live in Bakersfield, after John’s death, and began traveling with her sister, Dorothy. They traveled down the Volga, Yangtze, and Danube. They visited Victoria Falls, the Serengeti, and the Masai people. For her grandchildren, the best trips were the visits at Christmas, graduations, and other important events. They could hear about her adventures while playing Rummikub together as a glass of Chardonnay filled with ice cubes clinked close by. Never one to be idle, in between trips she did an incredible amount of volunteer work. It was important for her to give back to her community, so if you wanted to get ahold of her, you had to know her volunteering schedule. Her work at Gleaner’s food bank, the Red Cross, and the Guild House was always on her calendar. She also donated a total of 166 pints of blood to the Houchin’s blood bank! In 1998, she had the opportunity to meet up with one of the many friends she made early in her life, Harold Frisch. They were married shortly after, expanding her family circle, and starting new adventures. Spending time between Atascadero and Bakersfield, they traveled, entertained, and enjoyed a second life together. Their happiness and love for each other was a blessing for both families until Harold’s passing in 2006. Life always moved forward and so did Claire. She returned to her volunteer work and devoted her time and resources to one of her passions, the Bakersfield Symphony. She sat on the board, fundraised, and supported her love of music through the Symphony. Her family wants to thank the group of musicians who played for her in her last weeks. Claire is survived by Catherine Haupt. Her five children: Patricia, Lisa, John, Peter, and Joan; her 17 grandchildren: Peter, Celia, Claire, Joana, Allison, Sean, Benjamin, Connor, John, Cole, Eliza, Christopher, Eleanor, Andrew, Ava, Jasmine, and BJ; her 8 great grandchildren: Stephen, Donald, Norah, Frances, Julian, William, June, and Louise; and the family of Harold Frisch, including Darcee and Jerry Olson, their children Theo, Alex, Geoffrey, and Ana, granddaughters Stephanie, Miriam, Carina, and Lilian Frisch, who remain a loving part of her family. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be sent to the Bakersfield Symphony Endowment fund in Claire’s name. Additionally, we ask that you attend opening night in her name and help support this vital cultural resource for the Bakersfield community.