Maxine Deloris Clair

Maxine Clair, beloved author, poet and educator, passed away peacefully on September 5, 2025, at the age of 86 in Washington, DC. Known for her colorful, poignant storytelling and impactful lyrical prose, Maxine’s legacy will continue in American literature and in the many students whose lives she touched.

Born in 1939 in Kansas City, Kansas, Maxine was the daughter of Robert and Lucy Smith. She was raised in a family of nine children in close-knit community that shaped her creativity and inspired her as a writer. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Kansas and was Chief Technologist at Children’s Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Maxine later earned her M.F.A. from American University. She was a tenured professor of English at George Washington University until she retired as a professor emerita in 2008.

Maxine was an acclaimed poet and author. Her first book of poetry, Coping with Gravity, was published in 1988. In 1994, her novel Rattlebone was published. Rattlebone has been described as a “gorgeously written, heartbreaking compilation of eleven interlinked stories that capture slices of life of an African American community in 1950s Kansas City.” She earned the Chicago Tribune’s Heartland Prize for Rattlebone and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for fiction in 1995. Rattlebone saw new life in England through McNally Editions of books that have stood the test of time. Maxine’s additional books are October Brown, October Suite, and Imagine This.

Maxine’s creativity, love of life, and belief in the divine in every person touched everyone who knew her. She loved her Washington, D.C. community, including her faith families at All Souls Church and Unity Church. Maxine loved the beach, never shied away from a good game of Scrabble, and had a gentle spirit that was both beautiful and disarming.

Beyond her exceptional intellect and professional accomplishments, Maxine was a devoted mother to her four children, Stephen Bridges, Joseph Clair, III (Nyemah), Michael Clair (Elizabeth Olivares) and Adrienne Clair. Each of her children is a unique reflection of Maxine’s creativity, boundless energy and spirit, intellectual curiosity, and faith. She was also a beloved sister to her brothers Robert Smith, Jr. (deceased, Lora Smith), Steven Smith (Kimberly), and Ronald Smith (Rebecca), and sisters Gloria Smith (Michael Obsatz), Elinor McGinnis (Elmer), Donna Smith, Joyce Smith, and Linda Smith. Maxine loved, cherished and unapologetically indulged her grandchildren George Olivares, Nicole Olivares, Jackson Winder, Noah Winder, Nia Clair and Joseph Clair, IV. She is also survived by great-grandchildren Melody Spring, Aurora Spring and Aiden Spring. While we are all heartbroken by her loss, her family is immensely grateful for each memory and comforted by the assurance that Maxine is at peace. She will live in our hearts forever.

A memorial service will be held on September 20, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Unity of Washington, 1225 R St NW, Washington DC. The memorial service will be followed by a Celebration of Life, on September 20, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at the Salamander Hotel, 1330 Maryland Ave, SW, Washington, DC

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Maxine’s honor to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.