With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved daughter, Claire Rose Goodwin (Claire Bear), who left us on December 14, 2024, at the age of 21, and is now with her Heavenly Father, singing in Heavens' choir.

Claire was born on August 5, 2003, in Raleigh, North Carolina.  She was a graduate of Clayton High School and was eagerly preparing to graduate from Florida State University in the Spring of 2025, where she was pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance for Opera.

Her legacy of love and compassion lives on in her family: her parents, Haley and Steven Goodwin; her sister, Isabelle Goodwin (Izzy); her grandmother, Marilyn Rose Moore (Grammy); her grandfather, Neal Thornton Thompson (Papa Thor); and her great-grandmother, Rose Smith Rose (Granny Rose), all of Clayton, NC. She is also survived by her aunts, Leigh Goodwin, Trinity Garvey and Ashley Loscalzo; her cousins, Anna Johnson, Allyson, Lucas and Olivia Garvey, Nicholas, Jacob and Lilly Loscalzo, as well as a host of extended family and friends.

Claire was a gentle soul whose life touched the hearts of everyone she met. She brought immeasurable joy and light into our lives with her kind heart, radiant smile, and boundless curiosity. She had a special connection to Kure Beach, where she spent countless happy moments running down the beach and chasing seagulls, each one given a name. The smell of the Kure Beach Pier and cottage was a favorite of hers—one she often wished she could capture and bottle as perfume.

A gifted Opera singer, Claire had the voice of an angel, and those fortunate enough to hear her sing were often brought to tears by the beauty and soulfulness of her voice. Though her time with us was brief, the depth of love and happiness she shared will forever remain in our hearts and her light will continue to inspire all who knew her.

Memorial Service:

A memorial service to honor Claire's life will be held at First Baptist Church in downtown Clayton, 411 N Fayetteville St, Clayton, NC 27520. The visitation will be from 1:00 – 2:00 PM Saturday January 4, 2025 with the service immediately following at 2:00 PM.

If you wish to send flowers, please contact Flowers By The Neuse (flowersbytheneuse.com) to have them sent directly to the church the morning of the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the "College of Music Memorial Fund" in Claire's memory, and the gifts will be designated by the family's wishes (such as a scholarship). To donate online, please visit https://give.fsu.edu/clairegoodwin. Checks can also be made payable to the FSU Foundation and mailed to 325 West College Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32301, with "Claire Goodwin" in the memo line to ensure that gifts are tracked in her memory.