Claudia Joan McCarley

Claudia gave her time freely to family, friends, church, and her artistic expression. She raised five children in a military family that moved many times. In each new city she created a home, whether in Alabama, the United Kingdom, Texas, Colorado, Germany, or Ohio. In Germany, Claudia studied the art and technique of the Old Masters paintings, thus beginning a lifelong love of painting, which she shared by teaching students in Ohio. She finally settled in Austin, Texas, where she was active in her local church, managing their bookstore for many years. In addition to the bookstore, Claudia was also an entrepreneur, starting her own art framing business and an antique shop. Claudia was always inquisitive and artistic, something she loved to share with others. Some of her most interesting adventures were a result of her art and traveling to art fairs to sell paintings with a friend. Once she booked a booth at the Kerrville Folk Festival, mistaking the bohemian music festival for the local art festival -she saw an interesting side of 1980’s central Texas on that trip.

She is survived by her children, Trent Douglas (Linda), James Scott (April), David Bryan (Tracie), Lloyd Starr (Brenda), and Kimberley Frances (Criss); her siblings, Kenneth Edward (Deanne), Terrence Patrick (Joy), James Victor (Rosemary), William Charles (Dixie), Rosemary Linore (Bradley), and Blythe Mary Kathryn Suzanne; many grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends. She is preceded in death by her husband, Martin Lloyd McCarley; her brother Paul Robert Tiffany and his wife Margaret; and by her parents Kenneth Tiffany, Tommie Tiffany Jenkins, and Francis Jenkins.

A celebration of Claudia’s life will be held on February 11, 2026, at 10:00 am at the Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills at 9700 Anderson Mill Rd, Austin, Texas 78750.