Clara Marie Thomann

It is with broken hearts that we announce the passing of Clara Marie Thomann, beloved teacher-friend-aunt-sister-daughter-spouse-soon to be mother, on December 27, 2024. Clara was born on May 24, 1991, in Corvallis, Oregon. From a young age, she was fascinated by leaves, rocks, stars, animals, and tiny details. She attended Katheryn Jones Harrison Elementary School, Franklin Middle School and Corvallis High School. Clara graduated from Macalester College in 2013 with majors in geology and astrophysics. She continued her studies at Utah State University and UC Santa Barbara, where she completed her Masters in Education.

She found her calling as a physics teacher at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California. Beyond sharing her love of science, Clara found ways to personally connect with her students. She took each class for a brief outdoor walk every day – a time to put phones away, quiet the mind, and connect with each other and the outdoors.

At the time of her death, Clara was pregnant with her first baby, a boy she planned to name Theodoro. Clara is survived by her parents, Estela and Enrique Thomann; siblings, Ivan Thomann and Veronica Katz; husband, Elliott Finn; sister in law, Catharine Thomann; brothers in law, Dan Katz and Ian Finn; mother in law, Barbara Fick; niblings, Gabriel, Elan, Henry and Rosa; and countless others who were lucky to know her.

A celebration of Clara’s life will be held in Corvallis the afternoon of April 5th. A livestream will be available for those who cannot attend. Please send an email to celebratingclaraslife@gmail.com to receive additional information. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Clara Thomann Scholarship Fund (https://tinyurl.com/2z5z87d2), an award for graduates of Dos Pueblos who plan to study science. A longer tribute to Clara can be read at Caring Bridge.