Clare A Dus

Clare Anne Dus, 60 years young of Chatham, New Jersey passed away on August 30. She leaves behind brothers Alan, James, and Stephen, sisters Joanne and Mary Beth, and 18 nieces and nephews. Born in Kenmore, NY to Anthony and Mary Dus, Clare grew up in North Tonawanda, NY and Piscataway, NJ. She earned a BS from Cook College at Rutgers University in 1985. For over 30 years, Clare called charming Chatham, NJ her home.

 A Sensory Evaluation scientist, Clare worked for Sensory Spectrum, Inc. and The Spectrum Discovery Center, for her entire 37-year career, serving most recently as Senior Vice President. She was a coach, mentor, trainer, moderator, taster, and ideator. In the 1980’s, Clare assisted in the development of the Spectrum Descriptive Analysis method and trained thousands of panelists on that method. She conducted a vast array of research and evaluations, each with a true scientific curiosity. Clare’s work took her across the United States and the globe. Wherever she went, whether it was Hong Kong or Michigan, Clare made friends.

 Her commitment to sensory science led her to leadership roles in the Society of Sensory Professionals (SSP, Current Chair) and Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Sensory Evaluation Division (SED). In 2021 the Rutgers Food Science Alumni committee bestowed her with a Special Recognition award for her significant contributions to the advancement of Food Science.

 Her passion for creativity led to the development and implementation of many tools to support ideation and new product development. She shared her creativity as a long-standing board member of the Creative Education Foundation and an instructor at the annual Creative Problem Solving Institute’s (CPSI) meeting.

 Clare was guided by her spirituality. A member of St. Patrick Parish in Chatham, Clare served as a lector, and was a huge supporter of St. Pat’s youth ministry and the Appalachia Help Weeks program. Clare was a staple addition to all the retreat processes sponsored by youth ministry. Through the Appalachia Help Weeks program, she made it a priority to work with families in Preston County, West Virginia for more than 20 summers, and quietly was a major donor as well.

Clare cared for the well-being of so many people. She was an amazing daughter, sister, and aunt. Aunt Clare loved her nieces and nephews. She made certain she could share in the special moments of their lives. Having fun with them as they grew brought a special spark to Clare’s life. She loved reading to them as children, working on craft projects together, being silly, and surprising them with little gifts.

 An introvert with a brilliant scientific mind and creative soul, Clare loved reading just about anything, but especially Jane Austen. Music was always playing at Clare’s as she found pleasure in a variety of music styles. Appreciating art and architecture, Clare was always up for a visit to a museum. She developed a love for glass leading her to collect unique and lovely glass Christmas ornaments, vintage and new, making her Christmas tree sparkle.

 Please join the family for visitation at Gosselin Funeral Home, 660 New Dover Road, Edison, NJ, on Friday, September 22, 2023, from 4:00 to 8:00 pm.

 A funeral mass will be offered at St. Patrick Parish, 41 Oliver Street, Chatham, NJ on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at 10:00 am. The funeral mass will be livestreamed. Click on YouTube livestream on St. Pat’s homepage, https://st-pats.org/

 Following the funeral, family and friends are invited to attend a “celebration of life” repast at Morris County Golf Club, 36 Punch Bowl Road, Morristown, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Clare’s name to: the Appalachia Help Weeks Program through St. Patrick’s Parish (https://giving.parishsoft.com/App/Giving/PS-1519) or the Creative Education Foundation (https://www.creativeeducationfoundation.org )

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Clare A Dus, please visit our floral store.