Claudia Ann Avitabile died calmly and peacefully on the morning of January 4th 2025, just before the sun came up.  Her three children Adam, Alexa and Christopher, daughters in law Emily and Kimi, grandchildren and various friends and family had been with her the whole time, holding vigil and helping her to transition over the holidays with a deeply felt sense of love, which Claudia herself had instilled in all of them.  

Claudia was born on April 17th 1948 in Columbus, Ohio to Lt. General Charles B. Stone III and Emma Winburn Josephina Mariana Stone.  Born into the life of the Air Force she attended 7 schools in 8 years.  Although the moving around would prove to be hard socially, the life of a general's daughter provided her a variety of fulfilling experiences she would talk about her whole life.  The family settled in California in the early 1960's where she attended Marymount Junior High and High School, there she made lifelong friends and inspired her love of literature and history.  After attending USC as a history major, she married John Avitabile, her high school sweetheart on December 20th, 1969.  They resettled in South Orange County where they raised their three children, building a successful life together that would span three decades.

After her divorce in 2007 Claudia began a new chapter of her development.  Already social in nature, moving to Laguna Woods helped her blossom even further.  Cultivating a tight knit group of dear friends, she helped start social groups that benefitted the entire community.  You could find her on the dance floor at any baby boomers event, mixing it up at the wine club, or at her book club that spanned 25 years, even though she was known to say they hadn't read a book in a decade.  

Her career was also very important to her. After managing a successful real estate development company with her former husband, she joined a technology company that became Mobilityware, and would dedicate 32 years of service as office manager and overall "office mom". She enjoyed the energy of working with a diverse group of people and took pride in her accomplishments and commitment to the company. They honored her with a celebration of her many years of service soon before she died.  

Claudia was a devoted mother.  Her three children benefited greatly from her ongoing support, and also from her enjoyment of their developing lives, learning about their interests and adopting their partners as if they were her own children.  Her greatest joy was to be in close connection with her whole family and she relished the annual trip to Tucson Az for Thanksgiving, the place where her ancestors had gathered for many generations.  She was known as Avia to her four grandchildren Ami, Jackson, Mina and Charlie.  In her 23 years as an Avia, she nurtured unique relationships with each of them.  Her love and acceptance has shaped who they are and who they will continue to become.

Claudia is survived by her daughter Alexa, sons Adam and Christopher, and her grandchildren Ami, Jackson, Charlie and Mina, daughters in law Kimi Yoshida and Emily Morton.  Also survived by her brother, Col. Charles B. Stone IV and many cherished nieces, nephews and cousins.

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