Clara M Doyle

Clara McNierney Doyle, 88, of Arlington, VA, died peacefully at home on Saturday, July 18, 2020. Born in Titusville, PA, to Leon and Eleanor (Bronson) McNierney, she graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy in Titusville, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in History from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. She stayed in Philadelphia to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher, and taught at Edwin H. Vare Junior High School, where she met another teacher, Vincent Doyle. The two were married at St. Titus Roman Catholic Church in Titusville, on July 12, 1958. The couple relocated to Arlington, VA, for Vincent’s new job with the Pentagon, and Clara taught for a year at Stratford Junior High School. With a newborn son, they moved to McLean, VA, where they raised all six of their children. Her beloved husband Vincent retired from a long career with the Smithsonian Institution in 1989, and died in 1994. An active parishioner at St. Luke Catholic Church and school, over the course of 57 years Clara served as a Religious Education teacher and volunteered on numerous committees, becoming well known for her warm presence, cheerful helpfulness, and dedication. In 1998, she retired from 18 years with the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley. At that time, she broadened her volunteer activities, giving her time and energy to international, national, and local organizations that promoted peace, social justice, and community service. In 2018, she moved from McLean to a retirement community in Arlington, and soon became involved in a variety of activities while making many new friends. She is survived by her six children: Gregory Doyle of South Bend, IN; Margaret M. Doyle of New York City; Kathleen B. Doyle of Burke, VA; Timothy J. (Lara) Doyle) of Arlington, VA; Jeremy L. (Colby) Doyle of Houston, TX; and Susan D. (Lawrence) Nightingale of Alexandria, VA; as well as 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She is also survived by two of her five siblings: William McNierney of Buffalo, NY, and Jeremy McNierney of New Wilmington, PA. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Luke Catholic Church, 7001 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA, on Friday, July 24, at 1:00 p.m. The funeral Mass will be livestreamed the day of the funeral service. Please return to this page for the link to view the service. There will be a video box below this obituary to participate in the lives stream. If there are any issues, please copy and paste the link into another page to be able to watch at this link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-85hwZS7f8&feature=youtu.be. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the The Griffin Fund at Chestnut Hill College in memory of Clara M. Doyle at https://www.chcgriffinsonline.com/sslpage.aspx?pid=298