Clara Betty Slaybaugh

Clara Betty Staybaugh, née Bryan, passed away on July 15, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. She was born on January 3, 1934, in Oberlin, Decatur County, Kansas, and lived a life marked by compassion, purpose, and steadfast devotion to others.

Raised with roots in Kansas, Clara graduated from Decatur Community School in 1952. She went on to attend Washington University, where she earned a degree in Mental Health Services, and later continued her education by receiving a master’s degree in the same field. Her academic path reflected the seriousness of her calling and prepared her for a career of meaningful service.

Clara worked as a social worker in mental health services until her retirement, bringing care and advocacy to work that demanded both strength and tenderness. Her commitment extended especially to disabled veterans, for whom she labored tirelessly, helping them recover their lives and reintegrate into society. She advocated for funding to support veterans and took that mission directly to the highest levels, helping secure support by writing to the President. Among the accomplishments she held most dear was the founding of Esperanza homes for disabled veterans, a lasting expression of her belief that dignity, healing, and stability should be within reach for those who had sacrificed so much.

In her personal life, Clara married Milton Shadwick Slaybaugh in June 1959 in Topeka, Kansas. Together, she and Milton made their home in Tucson, Arizona, for 64 years, building a long and enduring life side by side. Beyond her work, she enjoyed traveling and found deep comfort and happiness in the companionship of her beloved fur babies.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Milton Slaybaugh, and by her father, Newton Bryan and mother, Margaret Peterson.

Clara Staybaugh will be remembered for the depth of her compassion, the intelligence and determination she brought to her life’s work, and the generous spirit with which she met the world. Her legacy lives on in the people she helped, the causes she advanced, and the home and life she shared with those she loved.