Obituary of Claire P. Richards

Claire Plowden Egas Richards 91, died Friday, October 7, 2016, at Palmetto Health Tuomey Hospital. She was the daughter of the late Dr. A. D. Plowden and Mary Elizabeth Kidd Plowden. Claire was born June 29, 1925, in the Concord section of Sumter County where her parents were members of Concord Presbyterian Church. In the late 1920’s the family moved into the city of Sumter where Claire graduated from Edmunds High School. She attended Winthrop College and later transferred to the University of Texas where she graduated. Immediately after World War II ended she moved to New York City where she spent most of her life. While in New York, she met and married the love of her life Camilo Egas who originally came from the country of Ecuador. Dr. Egas was head of the art department at New School for Social Research in New York City. While in Ecuador, he became a well-known painter of the modern art era. In Ecuador he studied under Picasso and he himself became famous and was named the official Artist of Ecuador with an art museum in Ecuador bearing his name. Upon Camilo’s death Claire remained in New York where she was employed intermittently by the New York City Department of Social Services. Claire loved to travel and had no fear of traveling by herself. She frequently traveled throughout Europe and South America. She became fluent in both the French and Spanish languages. In one of her elongated trips to France she took advanced courses at the Sorbonne in Paris. Her last overseas trip was to Russia where she traveled throughout Russia from Saint Petersburg to Moscow. As her health began to fail, she moved from New York back to Sumter to be with family members. She was an independent strong person loved by all her family. She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her two brothers, Samuel Theodore Plowden and Arthur Davis “Buster” Plowden, Jr.; four sisters, Roberta Plowden Abbott, Polly Plowden McKay, Eleanor Plowden Palmer and Billie Plowden Thibodeau. Funeral services will be held at 2 P.M. Sunday at Concord Presbyterian Church with Pastor Chuck Staggs officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 9 W. Calhoun Street, Sumter, SC 29150 or to Concord Presbyterian Church, 3350 E. Brewington Road, Sumter, SC 29153. On-line condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals.com Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad Street, Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements (803) 775-9386.