Claire Sachs

On Friday, June 19 , 2026 (4 Tammuz, 5786) Claire Sachs (nee Glynn), Chaya bat Velvel v’Tzipporah, passed away peacefully in her apartment at Waverly Heights, Gladwyne, PA. She was 96 years old. 

Claire was the beloved spouse of Herbert Sachs (z”l) for 64 years, whom she met when they were students at Temple. She was the devoted mother of Paul Sachs (Janet Sandell Sachs), Brad Sachs (Karen Meckler) and Lee Sachs (Deborah Pangle), treasured grandmother of five grandsons and two granddaughters, and cherished great-grandmother of three great-granddaughters and one great-grandson.

When it came to family, Claire was a tireless correspondent, frequently sending “required reading” articles to her sons and daughters-in-law. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the perpetual beneficiaries of a steady stream of phone calls, letters, and emails.

Claire radiated warmth, strength, optimism, and kindness—and perhaps most importantly, never lost an opportunity to laugh, or to try to get others to do so. Among the countless aphorisms she generously supplied to her family, “Never stand in the way of a simcha” was repeatedly emphasized.

But she cared deeply not only about the many family members and friends in her life,but also about humanity as a whole. Progressive and independent-minded, she moved forcefully through the world guided by her unwavering passion for justice, honesty, dignity, and integrity, constantly advocating for the underserved and dispossessed. 

Born in Philadelphia to immigrant parents, Claire grew up with no tolerance for intolerance in any form, and she certainly did not suffer myopic or bigoted individuals gladly. Jewish spirit ran strongly through Claire’s veins. She and Herb were long-time members of Temple Beth Hillel/Beth El, she was proud to become an adult bat-mitzvah there. She served a productive term as Sisterhood President.

Her thirst for knowledge and intellectual curiosity knew no bounds—she consumed books, newspapers, and magazines voraciously and was always eager to share her insightful commentary about what she read. In her later years, and up until recently, she was engaged in the study of Torah with a private rabbinical tutor. 

Claire graduated from Temple, earned a Masters of Library Science from Villanova, held numerous professional positions as a teacher and librarian, and for a time co-owned a bookstore called “Second Hand Prose.” 

But it would be impossible to understand Claire without understanding her love of music. A fine pianist, she and Herb were season ticket holders at The Philadelphia Orchestra for decades, and she took up guitar lessons in later life. She was always open to fresh and contemporary musical ideas, and she would knowledgeably converse with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren about their favorite musicians.

Donations in her memory can be made to:

The Foundation for New Jewish Music

Dinah Philadelphia 

May her memory be for a blessing

Relatives and friends are invited to Graveside Services on Monday, June, 22 2026, at 2:00 PM at Shalom Memorial Park, 3573 Pine Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.