Claire Justine (Hess) Smith

Claire Justine Smith, born Claire Justine Hess on May 26, 1932, in San Antonio, Texas, passed away peacefully on March 12, 2026. The oldest of six children of Leonard M. Hess and Mary A. Rodesney, she spent her early years on the Hess Ranch and in the family home in Marathon, Texas. She earned a B.A. in Economics from Fontbonne College in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1954. In 1956 she married Paul R. Grabowski, and his career with General Electric took the family to Texas, Connecticut, Illinois, and Kentucky. Though she lived in several states, Texas remained her true home, where her heart always longed to return. She cherished its wide landscapes, open night skies, wildflowers, and her beloved Leonard Mountain on the family ranch.

Claire was gracious, independent, thoughtful, stubborn, energetic, colorful, gregarious, creative, and full of joy. She lived life on her own terms, pursuing many artistic passions. She painted and sketched, exhibiting her work locally, nationally, and internationally, taught painting classes, and was a member of the Louisville Watercolor Society. In 1968 she published a book of poetry titled Thursday’s Child, with additional poems appearing in several anthologies. She loved music, reading, knitting, and crocheting. She worked at Frame Makers Gallery, St. Matthews Blue Print, and retired from JC Penney’s, all in Louisville, Kentucky. In later years she returned to Texas to care for her mother, later lived in Tennessee, and moved back to Louisville in 2017. She made new friends at Sacred Heart Village and continued her creative hobbies. Following a fall in mid-2024, she resided at Cherokee Park Rehab and Long Term Care, where she enjoyed reading the newspaper daily, weekend car rides with her daughter and Starbucks coffee, and outings with her friend Eric to drives and art exhibitions. She embraced each new chapter with grace and confidence.

Claire was preceded in death by her parents, sister Ruth Hess Goss, brothers Mark and John Hess, first husband Paul R. Grabowski, second husband Frank Smith, and nieces Terry and Julie. She is survived by her children, Jean Elizabeth Grabowski, Paul R. Grabowski II, and Jon D. Grabowski; grandchildren Amanda, Joshua, Brandon, and Shannon; great-grandchild Kelsey; her sister Margaret Hess Rourke and brother-in-law Larry; brother Paul Hess and sister-in-law Katherine; sister-in-law Jeanne Hess; many nieces and nephews; her special cousin Joe Courand and his wife Celeste; longtime friend Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer, OMI; and dear friends Ruth McCarthy, Ruth Tunks, and Anna Green, along with those who kept her healthy and happy, including Richard Shay, DDS, Eric Epstein, DC, and Brenda Graham, LMT.