Claudia Chittenden

Claudia (Arrandale) Chittenden was born on April 12, 1948, in Royal Oak Michigan. She was the second of four children, and the only girl for Douglas & Claire Arrandale. She graduated from Michigan State University in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in Audiology and Speech Sciences. It was there that she met and married her first husband. They moved to New York City, then relocated to Washington D.C. In 1975, she received her master’s degree in Speech & Language from George Washington University. From there, she moved to the Bay Area and embarked on her long career in Special Education. She had two children with her first husband, divorced him and married Dr. David Chittenden in 1984. The two moved to Mill Valley where she continued her work in speech and language as a special education teacher at a children’s center in San Francisco and then for the County of Marin. She went back to school in 1996 and earned a second master’s degree in English with an emphasis in TESOL from San Francisco State University. Both she and David participated in the local school system, volunteering, and enjoying many events at Park School, Mill Valley Middle School and Tam High. Claudia also enjoyed volunteering for the Marin Conservation Corps and for the Mill Valley Historical Society. Additionally, she and David hosted many exchange students and indirectly became aware of exchanging homes. Altogether they participated in nearly 14 different house exchanges. As a result, they made many lifetime friends throughout Europe and the United Kingdom. They also enjoyed the educational experience of traveling with the Road Scholar program in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. During one of their house exchanges in Saint Andrews, Claudia learned how to play golf, a sport she enjoyed for the rest of her life. Claudia was a fantastic chef, and she loved sharing her table with family and friends. Claudia is survived by her beautiful mother, Claire Grutta; her brothers Bill & Paul Arrandale and their families; her loving husband David; her daughter Erica Alvino and her husband John; her son Ted Buell and his wife Michelle; and her stepson Ben Chittenden and his wife Michele. Additionally, she is survived by her seven loving grandchildren: Jack, Daniel, Eleanor, Scout, Amelia, Cody & Penelope. They all referred to her, lovingly as “Ceece”. Claudia also left behind many cousins, nieces, and nephews. There are so many lives that Claudia enhanced just by being herself. She was everything to her family, she had an infections laugh, a kind smile for everyone, an incredible intellect and a generous soul. Claudia graciously and freely volunteered for many organizations, KQED, The Marin Literacy Program, and the Mill Valley Historical Society to name a few. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donating to one of these, or a charity of your choice. Her burial will be private, and a memorial celebration of her life will be held in the Spring of 2022.