Mary Claire (Claire) Kelly-Schultze died peacefully on June 22, 2025 in Towson, Maryland with family by her side.  She was 72 years old.

Claire is survived by William (Bill) Schultze, her devoted husband of 24 years; her two sons and their wives, Michael and Ellen Riley of Prairie Village, KS and Paul and Betsy Riley of Baltimore, MD; her stepdaughter, Amy Grant of Cockeysville, MD; five grandchildren; her sister, Ann Kelly of Annapolis, MD; her brother and sister-in-law, J. Michael and Kim Kelly of Bethesda, MD; and nieces and nephews.  Claire was preceded in death by her parents John and Dorothy Kelly and her grandson Aidan Michael Riley.

Claire was born in Pasadena, California on July 27, 1952.  Claire was proud of her roots as a California girl and always happy to reminisce about her early days in Pasadena—even visiting her childhood home, church, and parish school with Bill and Paul during a recent West Coast trip.

Claire's father John was a Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent and was eventually promoted to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C.  The family settled in Bethesda, Maryland.  Claire finished her early education at St. Jane Frances de Chantal School—where her mother Dorothy taught—and attended Ursuline Academy for high school.

Claire graduated from St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, where Dorothy was an alumna.  Claire then earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland.  Claire spent decades as a licensed clinical social worker within the University of Maryland system and spent her professional career—consistent with her faith—serving vulnerable populations in Baltimore City.  It was not work; it was a vocation.

Claire committed her retirement years to her family, including many visits with her grandchildren in Kansas City and locally.  She also assisted Bill with his hand puppet ministry, which they shared with children at various church events.  Apart from spending time with her family, among Claire's passions were her faith, reading (she particularly loved mysteries and The New Yorker), her Irish heritage, and taking road trips, including international ones, with Bill.

Family will receive relatives and friends at Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc. 1050 York Road (Beltway exit 26) on Monday, June 30, 2025, from 5PM-7PM. The Funeral service will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at 10AM, at St. Joseph Parish, 100 Church Lane Cockeysville, MD 21030.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Mental Health America online at https://mhanational.org/donate/.