Clara is the daughter of Joseph Francis Gordon and Martha Ann Puryear. She was first married to William Garland Hardison (Div) then Walter Kesecker (Div), then James E Hoffman (Div) and then remarried William Hardison. After his death, she moved back to Falls Church, VA and was seeing James Hoffman until his death in 1985.

Clara passed away from complications resulting from ALS or Lou Gehrig Disease.