Clarissa Mary Blanche Elissa McWilliams (nee Pater) died on July 22, 2022, after her battle with interstitial lung disease. She was the wife of the late Nabeel Daoud Elissa of Jaffa Palestine, the love of her life. She is survived by her children, Suha (Louis) Caplan and Ramsey Elissa as well as her granddaughters Jordan (Tuyet) Elan, Elissa Caplan and Chelsea Caplan as well as many dear nephews, nieces and other relatives around the world.
Clarissa was born October 23, 1937, as the loving daughter of the late Raymond C. Pater and the late Loretta M. Pater, loving sister to James V. Pater and late brothers Raymond C Pater Jr, and Reverend Giles H. Pater . She attended Summit High School in Cincinnati, received her Bachelor of Education from Our Lady Catholic, studied abroad in Switzerland and then received her Masters of Philosophy from Xavier University which began her journey as a lifelong educator. Teaching was her passion. She taught for 52 years in Ohio and Texas at both public and parochial schools,
Her journey in faith brought her to St. Mark's Evangelist Church where she also volunteered as their librarian. In 2018, Chris received the Bishop's Award for service to the church from the Diocese of Dallas for her volunteer work at St. Mark's. She had a profound interest in History and English. She loved learning about other cultures and meeting people from around the world. She was an avid book reader and had an extensive library and belonged to many book clubs. She was also a talented musician and loved to play the piano and sing, especially enjoying classical music. Her piano playing brought joy to many during the Holiday Season. She was a member of the St. Raphael Choir at All Saints Church and considered them (as well as her Bible Study class at St. Mark's) her second family. Chris loved to travel and did so with her sidekick and beloved late brother, Rev. Giles H Pater. She loved her family and was a loving mother and grandmother. She was a great cook, seamstress, health food advocate and worked on her fitness daily.
If you would like to support Chris' favorite charity, donations can be made to Catholic Charities.
A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, July 29, 2022 at St. Mark Catholic Church. Family and friends are invited to Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home at their convenience on Thursday to pay their respects and to sign the register book.