Claire E. (Poirier) (Dyrkacz) Loiselle, 92, beloved mother, grandmother and sister, died August 2, 2014 at Havenwood Heritage Heights in Concord, surrounded by family.
Born in Manchester on April 10, 1922 to Hormidas and Fabiola (Ducharme) Poirier, she was predeceased by her first husband, Theodore Dyrkacz; her second husband, Roland Loiselle; and three siblings, Georgette Huard, Lucille Austin and Henry Poirier.
She will be deeply missed by her family, including her two children, Suzette E. Kocab and her husband, J. Timothy, of Saunderstown, RI and Thomas J. Durkis and his wife, Sharon, of Concord; seven grandchildren, J. Thomas Kocab and his wife, Auburn, of West Kingston, RI, Gregory Kocab and his wife, Elizabeth, of Charlestown, RI, Sundra Durkis-Murphy and her husband, Gerard, of Concord, J. Theodore Kocab and his wife, Raquel, of Wyoming, RI, Jessica Durkis-Stokes and her husband, Timothy, of Hopkinton, Kathryn Fletcher and her husband, Thomas, of Exeter, RI and Jacqueline Galligan and her husband, Michael, of Foster, RI; 14 great grandchildren; three sisters, Lorette Petriw of Manchester, Simone Auger and her husband, Henry, of Goffstown, and Gertrude Lemay and her husband, Romeo, of Modesto, CA; and nieces and nephews.
Claire was a resident of Manchester and Goffstown for most of her life, where she was a longtime communicant of the former St. Edmond Church and St. Raphael Church, both in Manchester. She was a loving, brave and adventurous soul who endeared herself to all those whose paths she crossed with her trademark giggle and her spirited nature.
Claire accomplished much in her long lifetime. She worked for many years at Sanders Associates in Nashua. She traveled extensively, enjoying both the city and the countryside, and she enjoyed sewing, knitting, and crocheting – particularly for her family. She was a wiz at computers, trivia and bingo. Her greatest joy was her family.
The family would like to thank the caring staff at Havenwood Heritage Heights who enriched her life over the past eight years.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Friday, August 15, 2014 at St. Raphael Church, Walker Street, Manchester. Committal prayers followed at St. Hedwig Cemetery, Donald Street, Bedford.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38142-0142.
Lambert Funeral Home & Cemetery, Manchester assisted the family with arrangements.