Celebrating the Beautiful Life of Clara Belle Willett – December 30, 1938 – July 28, 2026

Clara B. Willett of Westbury, New York passed away peacefully at her home in

Westbury, New York on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, surrounded by her loving and devoted

family. A former longtime resident of Oyster Bay, New York, Clara – lovingly known as

“Belle” – was born in Oyster Bay on December 30, 1938, to the late Leander Willett and

Lucy Maddox Willett. Having lost her mother as a young child, Clara was raised by her

father and her beloved eldest sister, the late Lois Collins. She grew up in Oyster Bay

surrounded by her siblings and many, many cousins and friends. She loved Al Green,

Billy Dee Williams, family gatherings, and good times with those she loved. At family

and church events, she was especially known for her potato salad.

Clara attended Oyster Bay Public Schools and later graduated from BOCES in

Hempstead, New York. She enjoyed a long and successful 27-year career with the

Town of Oyster Bay Town Clerk’s Office, retiring in 2007. At her retirement dinner, one of

her former supervisors said she epitomized a true public servant. She also enjoyed

vacationing with co-workers, traveling to the Caribbean, and sharing in the many holiday

and celebratory dinners of the Town Clerk’s office.

A faithful member of Hood A.M.E. Zion Church in Oyster Bay, Clara served on the

Trustee and Stewardess Boards, as President of the Usher Board, and as a member of

the Missionary Society. Although she had long been a member of the church, it was

later in life, under the ministry of her beloved niece, the late Elder Marie Collins Bellamy,

that she gave her heart fully to the Lord and received Jesus Christ as her Lord and

Savior. She came to understand that it was not church membership or serving on

boards but having a living loving relationship with the Lord and living a life that brought

glory to God.

A single mom after an early marriage ended in divorce, Clara devoted herself to her

children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who were her greatest joy. She taught

them to pray, nurtured in them a love of reading, and instilled in them a respect for their

elders. She loved nothing more than being with her family, reading a good book, and

spending quiet mornings on the patio with coffee and her Bible, communing with her

God.

She was the only surviving child of the late Sgt. Leander Willett of Oyster Bay, a World

War I veteran and Harlem Hellfighter, who was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously

in 2019 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2025, the highest honor conferred by the

United States Congress, for his service in action with the 369 th Infantry Regiment, known

as the “Harlem Hellfighters.” It was a moment of pride and happiness that her father,

who had been dead since 1956, was finally being recognized by his country and she

was alive to see it.

She leaves to cherish her memory and continue her legacy: her loving and devoted

children; Felice, Leah (Rayland), Kelly and Joe; five-grandchildren; Tekeisha, Joe, Jr.,

Ja’net, Josh and Minlee; two great-grandchildren; Kaylah and Karter James, who she

called, “the man of the house”; one surrogate grandson, Jason; one surrogate daughter,

Belinda; the last three surviving children of her late sister, Lois Collins: Gary, Paul, Jr.,

and Phyllis; her very special great-niece, Deidre Collins Aleem; and her dearest last

surviving best friend, Dorothy “Dot” Fitts; along with many nieces, nephews, cousins

and her church family.

She was predeceased by her daughter, Marisa, siblings; Leander, Lois, Theodore

“Rock” and Peggy; son-in-law, James Elliott and Sisters-in-law, Mary Susan Willett and

Catherine Willett.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Hood A.M.E. Zion Church,

Oyster Bay, NY or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Lovingly submitted, The Family