It is with great sadness that we deliver the news that Claire Olverson passed away on Monday, April 6, 2026 from the progression of her metastatic bone cancer. She went to her eternal home peacefully while surrounded by friends and family who loved her beyond all measure.
Claire was born on July 16, 2012 in Newburyport, Massachusetts. She spent her entire academic career at St. Joseph Regional Catholic School in Salem, New Hampshire. Her favorite hobbies were playing video games with her friends and sister, collecting slime, watching horror movies, riding roller coasters, and visiting the beach. She loved cats, and her favorite food was calamari. Claire excelled academically and received a merit scholarship to Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Her dream was to become an oncologist.
Most importantly of all, Claire was unbelievably strong and incredibly selfless. When she was first diagnosed at 10 years old, she agreed to participate in various research efforts because she hoped her experience would help someone else in need. She never complained about the pain that treatment caused her, and she never gave up because she knew how much everyone around her loved her. Claire was always a shy girl, but her courage and poise always shone through in every situation. She touched the lives of so many people everywhere she went, and she will always be remembered as an incredible, charming young lady.
Claire is preceded by her grandparents Donna and James Olverson, her grandfather Charles Kunovic, and her uncles Brent and Kent Pattison. She is survived by her parents Stephanie and David Olverson, her sister Erin Olverson, her aunt Judy Pattison, her grandmother Mary Kunovic, her aunt Kim Pattison, and her aunt Karen Boric. Countless friends will also carry her memory for the rest of their lives, and we are eternally grateful for all of the ways that they made Claire’s life beautiful.
On Saturday, April 11th, we invite all who mourn Claire to attend a wake at Goundrey Dewhirst Funeral Home, 42 Main Street in Salem, New Hampshire between 09:00 AM and 11:00 PM as well as a memorial mass at St. Joseph’s Church next door at 12:00 PM.
We also encourage you to honor her spirit with flowers or a donation to Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund Clinic in her name.