Claire Ruth (McDonall) Andersen

Claire Ruth Andersen, 70, passed away at home peacefully with her family by her side on June 4th after battling a lung infection.  For over 30 years, Claire was a resident of the Crown Hill Historical District in Worcester--a caring and close-knit neighborhood who have provided long-term friendship.  A dedicated single parent, she leaves behind her two sons; Campbell Andersen of Scarsdale, New York and Travis Andersen of Tuckahoe, New York, who are both deeply grateful for her commitment to them.  Always a stickler for good table manners and speaking English correctly, she taught them to never be afraid to go-it-alone.  She also leaves behind a daughter-in-law Leslie, two grandsons Elliott and Stuart and her two favorite cats, Lillybelle and Morgan.   

Claire was born January 10, 1946 in Hartford, Connecticut to Wilma Ruth (Dykstra) and Clair Julien “CJ” McDonall.  Willma, CJ and her brother Keith all predeceased Claire. A graduate of Guilford Connecticut High School in 1964, Claire played the French horn with the Yale Youth Symphony and was selected for All State Band her Senior year.  After high school, she attended Bates College and Clark University.  Passionate about gardening, food and cooking, Claire also had a deep love for wildlife, music and the arts, supporting various organizations that included Raptor Resource Project, WGBH, and the Worcester Craft Center among others.

Early in life, Claire was a professional weaver and her pillows graced the cover of Beautiful Home as well as the display windows of Bloomingdale’s flagship store in New York City.  In 2010, Claire retired from Fleet Safety Services in Worcester.  Known for her deep knowledge of the regulations, she was nicknamed by her colleagues the “Pee Queen,” as she monitored safety, substance testing and compliance records for thousands of active fleet drivers.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, June 17th at 6pm at 5 Crown Street in Worcester, MA.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either the Raptor Resource Project (http://www.raptorresource.org) or WGBH (http://www.wgbh.org/support/makeagift.cfm) in her remembrance.   Rice Funeral Home, 300 Park Ave, Worcester, is in care of arrangements.

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