Clementine Rabassa

Clementine C. Rabassa, age 88, of West Haven, beloved wife of the late Gregory Rabassa, died on Wednesday, March 24, 2021.  Clementine was born on July 31, 1932 to Greek immigrants, Sotter and Mary Legatos Christos.  She was raised in the Hells Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. During her youth she attended a camp that was sponsored by the Fresh Air Fund, which she often reminisced about. After graduating from Hunter College, she began her career as an educator teaching high school Spanish.  She was an avid traveler, and her frequent voyages to Latin America laid the groundwork for her fluency in Spanish. She later got her PhD and taught Spanish at Columbia University, where she met her late husband, Gregory.  Her career culminated after several years teaching at Medgar Evers College. She was a published author and an avid reader, and always seized the opportunity to educate anyone who was willing to learn something from her.  Clementine enjoyed dancing, vegetable gardening, creating art using unique media such as pepper seeds in her paintings. She enjoyed playing the recorder and would regularly attend summer recorder workshops. She is survived by her daughter, Clara, and her grandcat Brady. Donations may be made in her memory to The Fresh Air Fund or The Alzheimer’s Association.

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