Wakefield woman was supporter of St. Joseph Band

Published in the August 23, 2017 edition

Claire-Stevens-obit_webWAKEFIELD — Claire Marie Stevens, 84, of Wakefield and formerly of Danbury, NH, died peacefully on Monday, August 21 surrounded by her children at her residence.
Born in Melrose on July 13, 1933, she was the daughter of the late Joseph F. Cassidy Sr. and Mary E. (Regan) Cassidy.
Mrs. Stevens was raised in Wakefield and had attended St. Joseph School and was a graduate of Wakefield High School, where she was a Majorette. She had worked for the telephone company in Wakefield and also had worked as an aide for the Wakefield Public School System. She was an active member of St. Joseph Parish where she was a Eucharistic Minister and a Corps Mother for the St. Joseph Band. Mrs. Stevens was also a member of the Saugus Emblem Club. She loved to spend time with her lifelong childhood friends, traveling, bowling and playing Scrabble; but above all she loved her family.
Mrs. Stevens was the wife of the late Richard Sherburne Stevens, with whom she shared 60 years of marriage. She survived by her six loving children: Mary Ellen Kelloway and husband Leonard of Lynn, Linda Makarewicz and husband Kenneth, Cheryl Hurley and husband James, Richard C. Stevens, Kathleen Garofano and husband Kevin all of Wakefield, and Carolyn Tucker and husband Martin of Middleton.
She was the sister of John E. Cassidy of FL, Eileen T. Neville of NH, and the late Ann P. Cassidy and Joseph F. Cassidy Jr. She was the adoring grandmother of Leonard Kelloway and his wife Lindsey; Christine Hunt; Patricia Shiner and husband Kevin; Kendra Makarewicz; James Hurley; John Hurley; Shauna Hurley; Kevin Garofano; Bryan Garofano; and Rachel, Caitlyn, and Lauren Tucker. She is also survived by 9 great grandchildren.
Her funeral will be held from the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Friday at 9 a.m. followed by a funeral Mass in St. Joseph Church, 173 Albion St., Wakefield at 10 o’clock. A visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the funeral home on Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. Interment will be at St. Patrick Cemetery in Stoneham.