SOUTH PARIS – Clara Alice Hammond Johns was born in West Peru, Maine on June 11, 1933, the daughter of Erlon Hammond and Tena (Colburn) Hammond.

For the first few years, Clara lived in East Peru, Maine with her parents and grandparents. Then she moved with her parents to West Sumner, Maine where she lived until 1951, except for one school year at age ten when her family lived in South Paris, Maine. She attended grammar school in West Sumner all except the one year she lived in South Paris. She attended West Paris High School, graduating in 1951.

Following graduation, she was employed at the General Adjustment Bureau in Augusta from 1951 to 1955.

In 1955 Clara moved to Portland where she was employed by the Northern New England Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as secretary to the conference president and the treasurer.

While working in Portland, she took classes at Gray’s Business College.

In 1959 she moved to South Lancaster, Mass. and was employed at the Atlantic Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as a secretary.

On Jan. 14, 1961, Clara married Robert Henry Johns Jr. In 1963 they moved to Stoneham, Mass. where they were both employed at the New England Sanitarium and Hospital, the name of the hospital was soon changed to New England Memorial Hospital, and later to Boston Regional Medical Center.

Clara was employed by the hospital until 1998 when she retired. After her husband retired in 1999, they moved to West Paris, Maine.

Clara was a member of the Woodstock Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Clara and her husband adopted two newborn infants, a daughter Beth Elaine, who died at 11 months of age at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1967 while undergoing heart surgery; and a son Kent David who died at 29 years of age in 1987 of cancer at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Clara died on Jan.15, 2020 at Market Square Health Care in South Paris. She is survived by her husband Robert Henry Johns Jr of South Paris; a brother Raymond Hammond and his wife Marilyn of South Paris, a sister Carlene Turner and husband Maynard of Hartford, Maine; three nephews; four great-nephews; as well as many friends and other family members who are related by marriage.

The family would like to thank the staff at Market Square and the staff of Beacon Hospice for the care and kindness shown to Clara during her stay.

Funeral services will be held at the Woodstock Seventh-day Adventist Church on Sunday, Jan. 26, at 2 p.m. with Pastor Steve Dayen officiating

Arrangements by Cliff Gray Cremation & Funeral Services

The family suggests and requests donations in Clara’s memory be sent to: Forest Dale School

27 Perkins Valley Rd.

Woodstock, ME 04219