Mrs. Claire Marie (Carignan) Coyne, 88, passed suddenly into God’s embrace on April 19, 2023, the result of a blood infection. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 6, 1935, daughter of Lucien Carignan of Lewiston, Maine and Fabiola (Moisan) of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada. She graduated from Roxbury Memorial High School for Girls in 1953, and before marriage worked for a Boston bank.
Claire is survived by four creative and loving children, sons Michael (Kim) of Cape Coral, FL, Paul of Burbank, CA, Patrick (Wendy), of Millville, MA, and daughter Catherine (and partner T.J.) of Vassalboro, ME. She is also survived by her baby brother, Raymond Carignan of Hanover, MA, sister-in-law Frances Carignan, cousins, nieces, nephews, and cherished best friends Marie DiCampo and Ronald Lumi of Milford.
Among her life’s greatest joys was her role as grandmother and great-grandmother to a large hybrid family of blood and step descendants. She leaves behind 12 grandchildren; Brandon, Kaylee, Jeff (Christina), Krista (Jared) Roy, Carson (Wanderley) Menezes, and Tyson, children of Michael; Bailey, daughter of Paul; Samantha, James (Rebecca), and Dylan, children of Patrick; and Brianna and Justin, stepchildren of Catherine. She also cherished 11 great-grandchildren and could never hug and kiss them enough. Friends of her children also called her “Ma.”
Claire wed the late Francis “Knobby” Coyne on July 11, 1959, maintaining a 4-year long courtship, through hundreds of love letters, while he served in the U.S. Army. First living in Jamaica Plain, in May of 1966 the Coynes relocated to Milford, into a lively neighborhood populated by baby boomer families. In Milford, she served as a Pack 32 Cub Scout den mother, assisted the Milford Youth Militia during the Bicentennial, and worked locally for Ted Kennedy’s presidential campaign.
Claire was quiet, often shy, and never swore, but she also had incomparable strength, and was a true inspiration to those blessed to witness the victories of her life. She beat cancer several times, had a double mastectomy, overcame heart failure, and during the Blizzard of ’78, became stranded with her husband in an abandoned schoolhouse for three days while their kids were home alone.
In April, 1994, Claire’s husband Knobby passed way. One week later, her 26 year old daughter-in-law Elaine, Paul’s wife, lost her battle with cancer. She held the family together during this difficult time and vowed to stay in her Milford home, which she did until her passing. In their memory, for more than a decade Claire participated in the Jimmy Fund Walkathon to raise money for children with cancer. She also helped select creative arts scholarship recipients in Elaine’s name for Milford High School. As she often said, “I’ve made it this far. I might as well keep going.”
She was a woman of many talents. In the 1970s, Claire worked from home designing wedding and birthday cakes. The kids looked forward to these days, as they knew they were going to be greeted after school with cake tops and the world’s sweetest frosting. In later years, she created wedding cakes for her own children, adding a dish of cake tops on the side.
She loved to paint, play the organ, made homemade tourtière for Thanksgiving, was an avid cross-stitcher and won dozens of candlepin bowling trophies. She enjoyed lake camping with her husband, visiting lighthouses, Facebooking and, in her 70s, travelled to London, Paris and Rome for the first time. Most importantly, her nails were always perfect.
Claire enjoyed Willie Nelson, Rod Stewart and Tom Jones (and demurely admitted Jon Bon Jovi “did it for her”), morning chat shows, jigsaw puzzles and Sorry, devoured Danielle Steel novels, collected recipes, and owned every Norman Rockwell collectible imaginable. She was a diehard Patriots fan and had a lifelong love of dogs, especially her two cherished Bichon Frisés, “J.P.” and “Beau.” Following her retirement as a longtime secretary at Data General and EMC, she channeled her pooch passion into a minor career, serving as a dog-sitter for many faithful, furry friends.
Claire was humble and never liked to be the center of attention but in her later years had to admit that she had survived, despite all odds, and she was proud of what she had accomplished. She was most proud of her children, and all that they had accomplished in their careers and, especially, families.
Claire was also preceded in death by her parents, Lucien and Fabiola, stepmother Mary (Auditore) Carignan, brother Gerard Carignan, sister-in-law Sandra (Godbout) Carignan, and in-law parents Joseph and Agnes {Brown) Coyne.
Calling hours will be held from 4:00 until 7:00 0n Wednesday, April 26, 2023 in the Consigli Ruggerio Funeral Home, 46 Water St, Milford.
Family and friends are invited to a Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday, April 27, 2023 at 10:00 am at Saint Mary of the Assumption Church, 17 Winter St, Milford, MA. Interment will follow in the shadow of Milford’s famed Irish Round Tower, in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Cedar St, Milford.
The family would like to thank the staff of Milford Hospital for saving mom’s life many times, and the caregivers at Adviniacare of Northbridge, who saw her prove once again that she was capable of superhuman feats. A few days before she passed, she won her last bowling trophy at the rehab center, where Nick and Erica became the newest members of her family. Claire’s time with us ended in strength, dignity and love.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the ASPCA at www.aspca.org/ways-to-give and to the Jimmy Fund at www.jimmyfund.org/ways-to-give/. An art scholarship will be created in her name at Milford High School.