Claire Marie Stukas, born May 24, 1928

Claire was a parishioner at St. Joseph’s Church – over 46 years.  Her involvement there included teaching at Children’s Liturgy 25+ years (she loved the children and did it until she physically couldn’t do it anymore), was a Eucharistic minister, participated in Bible Study Groups, and attended Cancer survivor group run by Paula Fragazy (Claire survived follicular lymphoma.)  Claire attended mass weekly including holy days of obligation.  (She made sure that her children attended as well.)  She was devoted and looked forward to attending mass. She was strong in her faith in God.  Claire also volunteered at Dimitri House: (She loved volunteering there and did it until she physically couldn’t do it anymore.) She was born Claire Marie Velin in Petite-Roselle (in Lorraine, France) in May of 1928. As a preteen, she lived in Paris during the WW2 German occupation.  In 1948 she traveled by boat, alone to the U.S. to visit with and help her oldest sister, Marie with her children. It’s here that she met her husband Ray at a Lithuanian church in Rochester called St. Georges. She returned to France and Ray started to write to her – and she wrote back...and a letter writing relationship began that lasted a few years. She returned and married him in 1954. They raised 5 children; Philip, Bernadette, Jacqueline, Michelle and Corinne. She always had a strong faith in God. She helped spark their faith in God/Jesus.  Nature inspired her and this shaped and influenced all her children who have all had been influenced by her to have a great love of the outdoors. She was an athlete with a high endurance. She always kept active. She did the Lilac 5K, swam, biked, XC and downhill skied and was active in yoga. After raising her kids, she said she was going to do some things she always wanted to before she was physically unable to. She climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro at 74 and trekked through some other amazing places as a senior citizen - she hiked through Machu Pichu, Peru, hiked in Nepal and Patagonia. In 1999 she took a tour of the Erie Canal by bike, pedaling from north of Albany to Buffalo with a group (approx 450 miles in 15 days). She was part of a group called the Wednesday Hikers and Nordic Ski Club for years. She rode in the MS Bike Marathons for 20+ years until she couldn’t do it anymore. She would train and ride the 100+ miles. Later she had to whittle it down to half the trip, but she kept at it until she was unable to physically, which was about 85 years old! Claire was a teacher and substitute teacher at various schools (MCC, Brighton HS).  She earned a Masters Degree (Teaching) from U of R in 1958.