Claire Brassard passed away on Friday, January 2, 2026 at the memory care unit of Mansfield Place, Essex Junction, VT.

Born Marie Claire Giselle Lajeunesse, on July 22, 1932 in Barre, Vermont, Claire was one of eight children of parents Armand and Leda Lajeunesse. It is during the formative years when they operated a modest family farm that Claire fondly recounted endless stories of growing up with more land than money, all working together to support the household and learning the values of love, gratitude, and teamwork. It is from this hands-on experience that Claire learned cooking, gardening, canning, first aid, and the values of selfless team play, perseverance, compassion, and a work ethic that she applied throughout the rest of her life.

Claire met who would become her future husband, Norman Brassard, in grade school, then started dating while both attending Spaulding High School in 1950. Upon receiving his honorable discharge from the US Army, Norm returned home to Barre where the two were married on November 27, 1954. Less than a year later, Claire gave birth to the first of their four children, Tom, which elevated their priority to seek a supportive career. This is when a close friend passed along a job opening for a salesman with a company named McAuliffe's Office Products, in Burlington. Due to his shy nature, sales was the very last role Norm would ever consider, but by virtue of Claire's persistent nature, she convinced him to accept the position. They packed up and moved to Burlington to start their new family life, and never left.

With Norm's steadily progressing career, they were able to build a modest home and afford for Claire to work as a homemaker to raise their four young children. Claire became involved in their children's school and extracurricular activities at Saint Joseph's Parish and Elementary school. She was active in the PTA, baked cookies and squares for bake sales, helped with the annual school bizarre, and with her sewing skills, made clothes for her daughters. After all four children graduated high school, Claire worked as a receptionist for Four Seasons Dermatology, then part-time on the retail floor at McAuliffe's. Her consistently effervescent smile and welcoming personality made customers and clients always feel at home.

The summer months were the most active, with family boating around Lake Champlain, and camping outings within Vermont, Maine, New York, and as far away as Ontario. Amazingly, for a family of six, she managed to make all the food and gear preparations, and organization look easy, though it likely wasn't. Claire was a supermom in so many ways.

Claire loved to travel. With Norm's career success came national sales awards which included multiple trips to Hawaii, Las Vegas, Cape Cod, San Diego, and countless trips to Florida. When Norm retired, they sold their house of 46 years, and moved to South Burlington to enjoy the next phase of their life with carefree condo living and more travel.

It is impossible to overstate just how popular and well-loved Claire and Norm have been their entire lives, and it's equally impossible to speak of one without the other; they were such that couple. To them, relationships meant everything - family, friends and neighbors, and the newest acquaintance made 30 seconds ago. They loved people, and people loved them. Claire lived a life filled with relationships, entertaining, and joy.

Claire is survived by husband, Norman; son Tom (Sue, deceased), daughters Jeanne Boucher (Tom), Lynn Ferro (Jim), and Laurie Echevarria (Mike); grandchildren Abby (Mike), Keith, Joel (Ali), David (Fang), Amy (Rick), Emily (Jake), and Christina; and great grandchildren Brayden, Grayson, Logan, Forrest, Calvin, Sophia, Leo, Tucker.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, February 6, 2026, at 11:00 am, at St Pius X Catholic Church in Essex. Reception and luncheon will follow in the parish hall. Burial will be at 3:00pm at New Mt Calvary Cemetery in Burlington.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to: UVM Home Health & Hospice, 1110 Prim Rd. Colchester, VT 05446. Donations can be made at www.uvmhealth.org/hhh/donate