PYLE CLAIRE ELIZABETH On Monday, December 23, 2013, Claire Elizabeth Pyle, of Pittsburgh, passed away. She was born September 17, 1917, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Rose Pyle; and by her sisters, Ruth Pyle Quirk and Mary Louise Pyle Adams. She is survived by her sister, Nancy Pyle Johnston of Easton, Maryland; she is also survived by ten nieces and nephews. Claire was a 1935 graduate of Johnstown High School. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Education. While at Pitt, she was elected to Phi Theta Kappa and Pi Lambda Theta, both honorary fraternities. After one year of graduate study at Pitt, she began a long career in finance with the Cambria Savings and Loan Association, rising to the position of Secretary-Treasurer. In 1957, Miss Pyle gave up her career in finance and accepted a scholarship to study at Carnegie Mellon University for a master's degree in Library Science. She graduated in 1958 and accepted a position in the reference department at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. She was promoted to the Head, Popular Library at Carnegie and, eventually, she became Head of Branch Services of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. In this position, she was responsible for the supervision of all the branch libraries in the Carnegie Library System. Miss Pyle was a voracious reader. She was noted for book reviews that she presented to numerous Pittsburgh organizations. She wrote book reviews for publication in a number of American Library Association journals. She traveled extensively in America, Central and South America, and in Europe. She was among the first Americans to travel in China. Her last big trip was to Egypt where she sailed the Nile to witness the antiquities. She was a member of the College Club of Pittsburgh, Altrusa International of Pittsburgh (past President) and Beta Phi Mu (national honorary library fraternity). She served on the Board of Directors of the Cambria Savings and Loan in Johnstown. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2014, in St. Paul Cathedral at 10 a.m. Arrangements by JOHN A. FREYVOGEL SONS, INC. www.freyvogelfuneralhome.com Send condolences at post-gazette.com/gb
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