Clarissa Maria Luna

Clarissa Maria Luna

November 20, 1966 to February 22, 2018

Claire departed this life while visiting her parents in Albuquerque New Mexico. She is survived by her wife, Dr. Joyce Weiblen of Kansas City, her mother Elvira Lorio-Luna, her father Dr. Gilbert Luna Jr., her soft-coated Wheaten Terrier Zoe, and dearest friends Brianna Bianchi of Italy, Dr. Norma Sue Griffin of Pearce AZ and Sister Teresa Manzo of The Sisters of the Poor in Scranton PA. Her brother Paul and half-sister Paula predeceased her, as did her beloved Nana who died earlier this year at the age 109. Many cousins and their children whom she loved dearly, grieve her passing.

Claire grew up in Los Alamos, New Mexico but soon moved away to attend boarding school at Saint Scholastics Academy in Colorado. She traveled the world throughout her life including places like South Africa and Antarctica.  In her early life she modeled for the Ford Agency in New York but her first and enduring love was music and music production. She worked with such notables as Oprah Winfrey, Prince, Patti LaBelle, and Tina Turner. She wrote and produced commercials, most notably for Coca Cola.

She earned two master’s degrees in theatre and production engineering at Eastern Michigan University and a Law Degree in Copyright Law from The University of Michigan.

Early in the new millennium Claire became profoundly deaf. It shut her off from her world of music but as one door shut, another opened. She spent the following two years, before receiving a cochlear implant, learning sign language and making connections with the deaf community. Learning to hear again with an artificial device is a very difficult challenge so Claire began a support group in Kansas City to help individuals deal with the challenge. Her work became so successful that on January 20, 2014, she received the Cochlear America Humanitarian Award, and it specifically said “For outstanding dedication, energy, spirit and superior leadership.”

Celebration of life will be held Friday March 2, 2018 at 7:00 PM, Daniels Family Funeral Services, Wyoming Chapel. 7601 Wyoming Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87109.

A Funeral mass will be held Saturday March 3, 2018 at 1:00 PM, John XX111 Catholic Church, 4831 Tramway Ridge Dr NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to honor Claire may be made to Mid-West Ear Institute 4320 Wornall Road, Medical Plaza I, Ste. 420 Kansas City MO 64111 or to Wayside Waifs 3901 Martha Truman Rd. Kansas City MO 64137.

Daniels Family Funeral Services

7601 Wyoming Blvd. Ne

Albuquerque, NM 87109