Dr.  Clare will always be “Superman” to me!
May he rest in peace…….

Amanda, Griffin, and Brennan,
  I am so sorry to hear of Dr. Clare’s passing. I worked for him at Capital CityNeurosurgery for 3 years. He was so kind, friendly, and had a wonderful sense o humor. All of you are in my continued prayers. My thought and love are sent to you all!

Dear Amanda and sons. I just want to tell you how sad I am to read of Dr. Clare’s passing. He performed my 1st cervical neurosurgery in June , 1997 when I was only 40 & had 2 little sons aged 6 & 8.
His birthday was the same age as my oldest son but he wouldn’t tell me how old he was ( I think b/c he was younger than me. As a young judge for the State myself , I understood . We had some lively exchanges c prior to  my surgery, culminating with my saying that he could take my Bryan Adam’s CD into the 6 hr surgery but when the song entitled “ Cuts like a knife; but it feels so right” came on, it better. Everyone and I mean everyone adored him.
I once gave him a balloon depicting the scream& his office manager said I was the only person to get him paid EVERY SINGLE PENNY by the insurance company ( I was former AAG to the insurance department- - I knew all their tricks).
I just want you to know how much he meant to me and my boys, who continue to have their mother here because of him and his faith in God. He said he was merely “God’s instrument.” He was that and more. 
Sincerely, Mary E Costello 7/31/2024

Brilliant man.  Wonderful friend.  One year in heaven…. Forever in our hearts.  Wishing the family days filled with warm memories.
Sandy

I was shocked and heartbroken to hear of Chris's passing.  He saved my life and I will forever be grateful for the amazing doctor he was and the incredible friend he became.  He was warm, kind, funny, brilliant and so incredibly passionate.  I will always remember "Camp Clare" and his crazy Halloween parties.  He was simply genuine through and through and  gave so much to others.  You are an angel among angels my dear sweet Dr Clare.  You leave behind a legacy that will be matched by few.  You and your family will forever be in my thoughts and prayers.

I was shocked to find that Dr. Clare had died.
I was a Nurse Case Manager and brought many injured worker patients to him for evaluation and his excellent recommendations for their treatment, recovery, and return to function and the workplace.
He was one of the best physicians I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He cared deeply about the patient's well-being and return to normalcy.
On a personal L note, I chose Dr. Clare as my treating physician for a cervical disc herniation that wound up needing surgery for correction. I had a complication that left me with weakness, spasm,  and almost no function of my L arm. Dr. Clare's persistence in treatment resulted in full function of the arm with only minor residual occasional numbness. 
This world lost a great physician healer now that he has passed on.
I, and I'm sure , all of his patients and colleagues will miss him dearly. My condolences to the family. I know this will not be easy for you, but his memory, the good things he did, and his love will live on in your hearts.
Rest in peace, Dr. Clare and may you be rewarded greatly in heaven for the good deeds you performed while here on earth.
Joanne Kalish RN
and former patient
9/23/23

I am so very sorry for your loss. Chris was as kind and gentle man with brilliant hands! So grateful he was in my life if only for a short time. RIP Chris Clare. Corby Barkhaus- Collegue from Piedmont Hospital.

Rest in peace Dr. Clare. I'm so sorry to hear of your passing. Life is so short. I will pray for you and your beloved wife and children. I was Dr. Frankel's MA in my twenties before moving home to Louisville.  I remember your Halloween party with all of us. You invited all the staff (when we were Gropper Neurosurgical) and you made us "no bodies" being there, feel like we were someone. God bless you and your beloved family. Thank you for all the lives you saved and all the laughs you made. God bless- Olivia Thomas & Family

He will be greatly missed. The memories and pure genuine kindness will forever be in my heart. 

Ryan McLoughlin 
Sea Island Sommelier 

Dear grumpy!
He was the best person I have ever met in My  entire life, it is the love of God reflected throuhg him.
He enjoyred My joys with me and also cried in My sad moments, he was always for me.
I admire his great humility, his nobility, he never made any distinction between people.
He always had a word of affection, kidness and a deep sense of service and generosity without measure.
His good sense of humor meant that every day around him did not end without a smile.
He taught me many things even without saying a single word, he was a great example for all of us who had the privilegie of sharing with him.
I  pray to God that his great children continue with that beautiful legacy that he left them.
His memory Will be forever in My heart and I will never get tired of thanking God for the blessing of having put him in my path and sharing 17 wonderful years by his side.
And although his phisical absence leaves an inmense void, his presence through his memory always enhanced.
His valuable teachings and love for life and people will forever improve in My memory and in my heart.
Rest in peace  my dear friend, my brother, forever my grumpy.
Rest easy nex to our God.

Thanks  Clare family for all your support.
God bless You all!
With love, 
Gladys Hernandez
 

Amanda, Griff and Brenny, 

The service for Chris was so meaningful. Most of all, heartfelt stories from his family & friends were so very powerful at his celebration of life.  

May you revel in the memories, celebrate the future and know that he will be there looking over your shoulder congratulating you every step of the way.  

Grief is always an open wound, but one that will begin to heal with time.  May his blessings be felt every day knowing that you had him for the best of times.  

The Byce family is there for you in every way as friends, listening ear or whatever you might need.   With heartfelt sadness, 

Sincerely,   Trish Byce and the extended Byce family.   

I am so very sorry to hear of Chris' passing. He was such a kind and thoughtful person; I will never forget arriving at St. Martin's and meeting Chris soon after. He knew how to put others at ease, was devoted to his family, and over and over again I heard about his kindness and support of folks who needed his guidance. My prayers are with the Clare family.

I was so heartbroken when I heard about Chris’s passing. I first met Chris in the late 1980’s when he started his Neurosurgery Residency program at Emory University Hospital where I was working as a nurse in Neurosurgery. There are such fond memories and shared friendships from that time and I had the pleasure of calling Chris a friend and worked with him for many years in other hospital settings. He was as everyone has described him as being: wonderful, kind, humble, and full of life and love for others. 
My sincere condolences go out to his family in this time of sorrow.

Our sincerest condolences. 
Bill Lipman and family

I was so sorry to hear of Chris's passing. I met Chris when we were at camp together when we were, I think, 11 years old. We started at Camp Idlewild in New Hampshire, and we were cabin mates each summer for 5 years until we were C.I.T.s. I remember an episode that first year when Chris was sleep-walking and carrying his bed down to the lake! Asked by our counselor what he was doing he replied: "I'm carrying my bed down to the lake!" He did not recollect this the next day. (I had my own sleep-walking episode the next year.) Then the camp, which had been running for close to 100 years, closed when the 'old man' - called "L.D." - died and the son, Ed, sold it off to break into parcels to sell off for houses! I did not see Chris after that until...
I moved to Atlanta in 2001 to join the Dept. of Neurosurgery faculty at Emory. Shortly thereafter I was hanging out in my chairman's (Dan Barrow) backyard when someone mentioned Chris, who had been a resident in neurosurgery at Emory, noting that his father was the CEO of Johnson&Johnson. I knew that tidbit about Chris from camp, and did the math.  We reconnected a year or two later. Pretty remarkable for two camp friends to go off in two different directions and pursue such similar career trajectories (suffice it to say we weren't talking about medicine, much less neurosurgery, as pre-adolescent boys!) and end in virtually the same place. I enjoyed reconnecting with Chris over the last 2 decades - due to him my kids attended the same school as his kids and my daughter was in the very same class as Brenny! He seemed exactly the same as he did as a boy. I will miss him and pass along my condolences to the entire family.

To the Clair Family, Our deepest condolences  for the loss of Chris.  He was indeed a gift from God to our family as he cared for my elderly mother in her time of need—the best Doctor she ever had!
We will miss Dr. Chris dearly, yet we are so grateful for the wonderful memories, kindness and love he and his family have given to ours.

-From Enid and Willie Roberson

Dr. Chris, you will be dearly missed! 
You shaped my leadership in so many ways and challenged me towards  greater excellence and impact. 
To the Clare family, my sincere condolences. I’m so grateful to have known Chris and so many lives were impacted because of his influence! 

Best,
Lucas Ramirez
The Gathering Place 

Gustavo Hernández Colorado
Amigo
Julio 25 de 202

Doctor Christopher Clare

Más que celebrar su vida, quiero dar gracias a Dios por permitirnos conocer una eminencia, que con su enorme humildad, bondad, generosidad y entrega por los seres humanos nos modelo el verdadero amor de Jesús.
Compartir su sabiduría y servir con amor a todo el que lo necesito a cambio de nada, solo por ver sanar a las personas,  lo hizo más amado, pues esto es lo que a Dios más le agrada.

Señor Chris. Gracias por el refugio, apoyo y confianza que le dio a mi hermana en su casa todos estos años, seguro que valió la pena. Su enseñanza será una generación, ahí quedan sus lindos hijos que heredaron su corazón.

Siempre anhele darle un abrazo pero no fue posible por la distancia, pero hoy siento un gozo  en mi alma porque se del lugar de privilegio que  Dios le dio allá en el Cielo donde solo van los justos.

Gracias, gracias, gracias hermano, te recordaré por siempre.

Gracias Familia Clare
Un abrazo y que Dios los bendiga!!

My deepest sympathies and condolences to Dr. Chris Clare's family and dear friends, and especially his children, who he was so very proud. His face light up with his contagious smile with every story he told of them.  Chris leaves behind a true legacy in advancing palliative care education, practice, and research at MUSC, and particularly in the College of Nursing.  Because of his support and vision, he will continue to touch lives and spread compassion as people and their families deal with life limiting conditions.  He had a very generous spirit and had a true gift of connecting people.  We will miss you!

Dr. Linda S. Weglicki, Professor & Dean Emerita, MUSC College of Nursing

I spent time in the OR with Dr. Clare for many years while I was with Medtronic.  He was not only an excellent neurosurgeon, he was a skilled teacher of his craft and had a caring patient bedside manner. He taught me so much and became a mentor and a true friend. 
Dr. Clare was passionate about whatever he was doing, he had a heart of gold and especially when it came to his patients. He was a kind and caring soul who liked to have fun and who spoke often of his beautiful family.  
My sincere condolences to his loving family and to all those who  were privileged to know him…Heaven got a gem….

Sending my deepest sympathy to the family of Christopher E. Clare MD. He did two complicated major surgeries on me. His expertise, generous care and compassion helped me continue my last 25 years in my nursing practice. Thank you again. God bless you.

Gloria Catap Johnston
Former Patient 

So sad to hear- I knew Chris from Piedmont and he was a kind man with a beautiful smile and gentle soul. I am so sorry for your loss. Corby Barkhaus

To the Clare family,

Jeff and I have loved being neighbors with Chris and family. We will miss our over the fence visits and Chris’ wonderful sense of humor. He was so full of joy and fun. We wish we had had the chance to know him longer. We are so sad to lose him and our hearts break for your whole family. Chris was a beautiful force. 

Our love and prayers to you all,
Gregg and Jeff Foxworthy

Chris was such an incredible person who never failed to make us feel like family. Words can not describe what an amazing man he was. We are forever grateful for our time shared together. Our love and deepest condolences go out to the Clare family. 

Christopher was my Dr. He was so good at it.  It’s because of him that I can still walk. Thank you Chris. 

To The Clare Family,

Please accept my heartfelt condolences as you go through this difficult period in your lives. Dr. Clare utilized the services of Greene Worldwide Transportation on multiple occasions. We all beamed with excitement every time he called to make a reservation. He was a very kind and compassionate person who did not have to try to be nice...HE ALWAYS was extremely nice and friendly. We loved working with him and will miss him tremendously.  Rest In Peace dear friend.  

Una persona con la sonrisa siempre en su cara, muy agradecido y generoso, tuve la oportunidad de trabajar un par de veces con sus hijos y siempre  preguntaba q como me sentìa.. muy cordial.. se le va extrañar de todo corazón  a sus hijos un abrazo  fraterno Fortaleza y vean siempre el buen ejemplo q les deja su Padre

Chris was one of the most caring and charismatic man I’ve ever met. What a blessing he was to so many people. He made my days fun whenever he came around.  He brought joy to all of his Sea Island family. He was a great friend and father figure, I am blessed for the time I got to spend with him. His greatness will last through his amazing children and I will always be there for them as he was for me. I truly love this family and am honored to have had him as a part in my life! 
Christine Kirkland 

Sorry to hear of Dr Clare passing he was very nice man. 

So sad to hear of Dr. Clares death.  He was a nice person and always treated everyone as a friend.
My love and prayers for his family for peace and grace.


Chris….roommates for 4 years during residency,…..my Best Man….you had an innate ability to make anyone feel like an old friend within 5 minutes of meeting them….you will be missed…peace my friend…

From the Hernandez family:
Dr. Chris Clare, just words of admiration and gratitude towards this human being so full of qualities. His love for life and people, unconditional dedication, kindness, generosity, make his recognition transcend borders and be admired even by those of us who did not know him personally. You were a testimony of love for God through the love for your neighbor that you always manifested. That is why we celebrate his life in eternity with the Heavenly Father. His memory will remain forever in our memory.

Chris

I miss you already.  You were my trusted friend and colleague for so many years and you helped so many of my patients through their difficult times. I knew I could always count on your surgical skill and friendly demeanor to get them through.  We were all so lucky to have you.  Rest in peace my friend.

Doug

I worked as a surgical tech with Dr Clare and Dr Gropper on numerous procedures at Piedmont Hospital in the 80’s. He was a fantastic Neurosurgeon. He will be greatly missed. R.I.P Dr Clare. Pamela Sims

Goodness, I am so very sorry to hear this.  I worked for Chris and Gary Gropper for quite a few years.  He was a great boss and my prayers and heartfelt sympathy go out to his entire family.
Blessings, and Love
Liz Westbrooks Brown

To know Chris was to know challenge, witness compassion and feel tremendous support and love.  He made everyone and everything he touched a little better.

Rest in peace my friend. 



Rest in peace in heaven my dear friend.  Thank you for your friendship, memories, and kindness which I will cherish and remember for the rest of my life. I am so glad I got to see you and talk to you a few weeks ago..
TJ

May the embrace of family and friends remind you of the love of God for you during this difficult time. Peace be with you. 


Chris was one of the most caring, compassionate and full of life individuals I have ever met. My dear friend we all will miss you

I remember meeting Chris and his beautiful wife Amanda at the pool in our neighborhood many years ago. The one thing thats sticks in my mind is the way in which he talked about his family. He was so proud to have Amanda and his kids. I just thought to myself, what a wonderful , warm hearted person who speaks mostly of his family. He was a proud husband of a beautiful woman and he loved to tell all of us about his boys!! His kids were young at the time & he kept pointing to them and talking about them in the pool, the love, kindness and dedication to his family was extremely strong. 
Its never easy to go through such a difficult time but I hope this message shows you all that you 3 were everything to him.  If there is anything I can do to help in anyway at anytime please ask. I pray you remember all the good memories, and his love will always be with you🙏

I have been working with Chris over the past six years, beginning when I was director of development of the MUSC college of nursing and continuing in my current role as Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for MUSC. I've worked with many donors and foundations over the years and Chris was my absolutely favorite philanthropic leader who became a true and loved friend. Unlike many neurosurgeons (ha), he was humble and eager to learn as much as he could. He valued true connection. But most of all, he had the best sense of humor. I would take him from meeting to meeting when he was in Charleston and he always made me laugh so hard! His phone ringtone was priceless. :) I will miss our talks on the phone about life and the great trips to Charleston to meet with our faculty and Mrs. Edwards. Chris, you are so loved and leave behind such an incredible legacy. I still can't believe you're gone. We will do you proud. Thank you for everything you've done for us at MUSC, for me professionally, and for your friendship. Rest easy, and hope to see you on the other side.

I am so very sorry to hear about Chris’ untimely passing. My heart goes out to his beautiful family and all those who loved him. 

Working with you through one of the most difficult times of your life was an honor, but our friendship was an even bigger honor and something I will treasure the rest of my life. You were one of the kindest people I've ever known and I'll miss our amazing conversations. This world is a little less bright without you in it. Go shine in the Heavens, until we meet again.

Lori

Rest in peace my dear brother from another mother! I will treasure our memories . You were so kind, generous and loving in so many ways. We were supposed to grow old and have weekly dinners just like our Parents! My Paul’s and I will love you forever 💔

Chris 
Rest in peace my friend 
I cherish the times we had together 
Don 

Doy gracias por la vida del Señor Cristofer, no lo conocía personalmente, conocí a la distancia su Amor generosidad, su servicio,su entrega, Dios lo tenga en su morada celestial.

Amazing man, but an even better father and role model. Love you always Dr. Clare
- Bryant

OBITUARY

Dr. Christopher Edward Clare

October 30, 1959 – July 17, 2023

H.M. Patterson & Son-Oglethorpe Hill Chapel

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