Claire Lucy (Thibeault) Beauchemin
October 1, 2017Share using:
Claire L. (Thibeault) Osborne/Hamel/Beauchemin died on October 1 following a brief serious illness at a Manchester hospital. Born in January of 1934, a daughter to Arthur and Leontine (Carriere) Thibeault, in Holyoke, MA, where she grew up. She attended parochial schools, graduating from Immaculate Conception High School. Prior to and following graduation, she worked at Orlen Jewelers in Holyoke until she married Paul W. Osborne, Jr. They made their home in Chicopee, raising their only daughter, as Paul completed his college and advanced degrees and taught in the Chicopee Public schools. Claire would later return to school herself, attending night classes at Westfield State College for several years.
In addition to being a busy homemaker in Chicopee, Claire was active in PTA organizations locally and statewide as well as other community organizations; and she was a communicant at St. Patrick’s parish. She enjoyed popular crafts like crewel embroidery, ceramics, fabric painting; eventually, she returned to work part time at the Chicopee Community Center as receptionist and secretary to the director. There, she became active with the United Way, and eventually found full time occupation in administration at the Center. When the Center closed, she went to work with the Chicopee Visiting Nurse Assn., and retired as records/file clerk there in the 2010s.
Widowed in 1988 after 35 years of marriage, she later met and married George Hamel with whom she shared eleven years of marriage until his death. A subsequent brief marriage to a childhood friend, Charles Beauchemin, ended; and she met her loving companion of recent years Hal Maloof, making her her home with him in Weare, NH for more than four years.
Claire was warm and funny, a good cook specializing in extravagant portions, loved generously, laughed heartily, gave much to the lives she shared, and will be missed by all who knew her.
In addition to her companion, Hal Maloof, Claire leaves her daughter Lyn O. Winter and husband Mark of Lisbon, NH; grandsons Royce McIntosh of Missoula, MT and Maxwell McIntosh and his wife Tiffany of Lancaster, NH; great-granddaughter Lexus McIntosh; a sister, Alice LaBier of Virginia; and other distant relatives and many old friends.
Claire modeled working for organizations close to home: if you choose to make a donation in lieu of flowers, please do so to an organization that benefits your community. A Memorial Service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on October 12 at the Shared Ministry church, 49 South Main St., Lisbon, NH. Final rest will be at the Veteran’s Cemetery in Agawam, MA at a later date.