Dr. Claire M. Appling died February 28, 2023 after a period of failing health. The daughter of the late Harold and Esther (Sullivan) Appling, she was born and raised in Brockton and remained a lifelong resident of the city.
After graduating from Brockton High School, Dr. Appling earned her bachelor’s degree from Bridgewater State Teachers College in 1954 and her master’s degree from Bridgewater in 1957. She subsequently earned a doctorate in education from Boston College.
Dr. Appling began her teaching career in 1954 at West Junior High School. Wanting to teach older students, in 1962 she requested and was granted a transfer to Brockton High School. In 1970, when the new high school opened, Dr. Appling was appointed one of the four original housemasters and became the “highest ranking woman in the Brockton school system.” She held the position of housemaster until 1999. She was then assigned to the central office of the Brockton Public Schools and oversaw the “entire health program for the whole system.” She retired in 2006 with 52 years of service in the Brockton Public School system.
Even after retirement, Dr. Appling was involved in education. A member of the Paper Folders of New England, she conducted several workshops in origami. She also served as a substitute teacher at the Kennedy School, at Trinity Catholic Academy and at Cardinal Spellman High School.
Dr. Appling’s involvement in the community was varied and lifelong. During her youth, she participated in religious and social activities at St. Margaret’s Church in Brockton. During college, she was a member of the Day Student council, the Newman Club, the Women’s Recreation Association, and the Upper Elementary Club. While teaching at West Junior High, she instructed the American Red Cross junior first aid course. In 1977, Dr. Appling became a certified EMT: before the age of paramedics, she rode as a “third party in ambulances.”
Dr. Appling’s achievements have been recognized in numerous commendations. Notably, in 2014, for her “great range of services she has provided to this city”, Good Samaritan Medical Center and USA Christmas Town named Dr. Appling the winner of the James Edgar Community Service Award. In 2015, her alma mater Bridgewater State awarded her the Dr. Adrian Rondileau Award for Professional Achievement and Community Service. In recognition of her dedication to teaching she was elected to the Delta Kappa Gamma Society. All are testaments to the fact that Dr. Appling was “always looking for an opportunity to expand a life well-lived.”
Visitation will be held at the Conley Funeral Home, 138 Belmont St., Brockton on Monday, March 6, 2023 from 9-10:30 am, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11 am in St. Patrick Church, 335 Main St., Brockton. Burial at Pine Hill Cemetery, West Bridgewater. Donations in Dr. Applings’s name may be made to the Brockton High School Drama Club, 470 Forest Avenue, Brockton, MA 02301. To access live streaming of the Mass on Monday at 11am please visit obituary web page.
Live Streaming will begin on Monday, March 6, 2023 at 11:00 am. Please view below.
**Please note that live streaming is not guaranteed. We depend on available internet via WI-FI, ethernet cable or cellular service providers. The strength of internet connections will determine the reliability of the video stream. In the event that the connection was bad or interrupted, we will do our very best to get the clean recording of the ceremony on our website within a few hours from the end of the ceremony**