Resident Spotlight: At 91, Clair Shields Is Finally, Fully Herself

Many coming-out conversations take years of buildup and minutes to unravel. Clair Shields had hers at 89, and it was over quickly in a hug.

Then known as Charlie, Clair told Leona, her wife of 56 years, that she was transgender. “The first question she asked me was, ‘Does this mean you’re a lesbian?’ And I said, ‘I’m a lesbian.’ We laughed and hugged, and that was it.”

Now 91 with pink stripes in her hair, Clair avoids the word ‘change’ and is quick to push back on the idea that the moment required bravery.

“When you’re transgender, you’re that from birth. I didn’t change, and it wasn’t courage. I just became completely aware of who I really am,” she said. “I’m comfortable now. I would not be comfortable any other way.”

Leona had known Clair as Charlie for decades. The couple met when Leona was 23 and Clair was 33 through a chance encounter in the waiting room of a counselor they shared.

“Whether she was Clair or Charlie, there was always a sensitivity, always a certain softness. A concern for people who may have had a hard time in society,” Leona said. “It didn’t matter who the person was, whether they were famous or lived on the street. She was always open to people, wherever they came from. I think that’s part of what we’ve always shared.”

Clair built a chiropractic practice in Chico and Beverly Hills, California, working with celebrity clients and the American Ballet. Leona’s career spanned roles as a nurse practitioner, women’s health, and maternal and child health, licensed marriage and family therapist, and a role with the California Department of Public Health in Sacramento.

The couple ended up in Phoenix after spending years helping care for their daughter’s son, who required around-the-clock care. When he died, they stayed in a nearby condo to be close to their daughter, son-in-law and 13-year-old grandson.

Leona was frequently traveling back and forth from Sacramento, and the arrangement wasn’t sustainable. They did most things together, including home improvement projects, until age made some of those things less practical.

“At 91, Clair isn’t able to do all the things we used to do together,” Leona said. “That’s part of where Beatitudes Campus fits in. There’s no maintenance. You don’t have to change the air filters. They’ll do it for us.”

Testing the Waters, Finding a Home

Clair and Leona moved to Beatitudes Campus four months ago. They decided to start with a rental apartment rather than a patio home, testing the waters before fully committing. Leona held back at first, checking in from a distance to see how Clair was settling in.

“I wanted to see how she did,” Leona said. “And I think it’s been a wonderful place for Clair. For both of us, honestly. I’m now part of the community.”

Clair has found her footing in exercise classes, a free-thinkers discussion group and the buzz of daily campus life. The women’s breakfast group welcomed her without hesitation. “I saw them all sitting there, and they just invited me to join them,” Clair said. “I really felt honored.”

She describes a community full of people with remarkable histories: a former prosecuting attorney, a retired judge and a longtime opinion writer for the Arizona Republic. “We have some very bright people here,” she said.

Leona still travels occasionally between Beatitudes Campus and their Sacramento condo but spends more and more time on campus. “It has a real sense of community. You can go into the Town Plaza Bistro to eat, sit with different people and find out about their background,” she said. “There are physical activities, enrichment activities and music. We’re also about to start classes through the Lifelong Learners program.”

A Community That Gets It, And Gives Grace When It Doesn’t

For LGBTQ seniors, that safety isn’t something to take for granted. Inclusive senior living at Beatitudes Campus shows up in how the community communicates, programs, hires, trains and supports residents, team members and visitors.

One of the first questions Clair asked their sales representative was, “I’m transgender. Is that a problem?” The answer was no. And it hasn’t been.

Team members have approached Clair with curiosity rather than discomfort, asking how she’d like to be addressed. Even Leona occasionally gets the pronouns mixed up after 56 years of habit.

“One of the breakfast ladies said to me, ‘I’ve heard you say ‘he’ a couple of times and then ‘she,’” Leona said. “And I go, ‘Yeah, I get it mixed up.’”

Clair takes it in stride. “It’s OK. For 50 years, that’s what she knew my name as. I tell people my legal name is Charles, my preferred name is Clair, my pronouns are she and her, and I’ll answer to whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Where Late-in-Life Means Right on Time

Transitioning later in life means navigating a world that doesn’t always have a road map ready. For LGBTQ older adults who came of age when their identities were criminalized or pathologized, the path to living openly is rarely simple. Leona has watched this unfold at Beatitudes Campus in ways that go beyond Clair’s story.

“People didn’t feel safe or didn’t think it was acceptable in their family or their community,” she said. “Later, as they get more mature, they reach a point where they want to acknowledge who they really are.”

That point, for many Beatitudes Campus residents, has come here. Others have shared their own late-in-life realizations, such as coming out as gay or lesbian, or navigating major identity shifts after decades of marriage. The campus makes space for everyone.

“I feel safe. I feel comfortable wearing a dress, skirt, pants or whatever I want to wear,” Clair said. “It just hasn’t been a problem.”

Clair uses estrogen patches and testosterone blockers; transition surgery wasn’t on the table at her age. What hasn’t changed is her sense of humor. She and her daughter are, as she sees it, going through life’s changes in parallel, just in opposite directions.

“My daughter is going through menopause and I’m going through adolescence. I told her, ‘You’re having warmings and I’m having emotional outbreaks.’”

At Beatitudes Campus, every resident brings a lifetime of living. Explore more stories of older adults who are aging boldly and living brightly on their own terms.

Featured Image: Guguart / Shutterstock