INGRAM (DEER), Clara
Sugar Hill, Georgia — Clara (Deer) Ingram, 94, passed away of natural causes on June 1, 2023, at The Benton House, Sugar Hill, Georgia. Her parents, siblings, and husband of 64 years all predeceased her.
She leaves her son, Michael C. Ingram and his wife, Bonnie; her daughter, Patricia Lyn O'Leary and her husband, Daniel O'Leary; two grandchildren, Kevin (Stephanie) O'Leary and Courtney (Christopher) Adams; great-granddaughter, Taytum O'Leary; and many other family and friends.
Clara was born in Washington, D.C. on November 4, 1928, to Jay Earl and Ethel Deer, the fifth of eight children including Roberta, Cecilia, Jessie, Jean, Jimmy, Ruth, and Ted. Clara grew up in Roanoke, Virginia, during the Great Depression with limited material assets, and came to value family and friends most in life.
After a courtship of several years and High School graduation she married Vernon Ingram in August 1947 in St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Roanoke, Virginia. She supported Vernon during his 34 year career with the National Park Service, in which she also made many lifelong friends. This took the family from Salem, Virginia to Cumberland Gap, Tennessee; Richmond, Virginia; and finally Atlanta, Georgia.
Clara could be surprising. She had learned to fly and had flown solo before her senior year of high school. She was the captain of her high school basketball team. She worked a variety of jobs during her life to include teaching bowling for several years. During her entire adult life she loved going to see a movie at the theater. She always loved eating out and shopping, and in retirement, always looked forward to time with her grandchildren. She liked to travel and was not afraid to go places by herself. And, she absolutely loved going to the beach.
She could always be counted on to help others in need. She volunteered often through the years in the park service, each of her churches, and various communities.
She will be missed by the many whose lives she touched.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at 11 AM, Holy Cross Cathedral, Loganville, Georgia. Visitation will follow. In a private ceremony, the family will see Clara inurned beside her husband at Hill Haven Memory Gardens in Walton County, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Holy Cross Anglican Church general fund.