Danville, NH: Mrs. Claire E. (Hanlon) Mace of Danville NH passed away on June 3, 2017 after a period of declining health just weeks shy of her 91st birthday. She was the widow of William J. Mace with whom she shared sixty years of marriage, the majority of which were in Danville, having moved there from Revere MA in 1958. Claire had been residing at Poplin Way Assisted Living in Fremont, NH for the past year.
Born in East Boston, MA, the daughter of the late Albert and Mary C. (Nolan) Hanlon, Claire was raised in East Boston, graduated from Fitton High School and then from Boston Clerical School in West Roxbury. She worked as a secretary before starting her family but those secretarial skills were frequently put to good use on numerous school and town committees in both Danville and Sebago, ME, where she and her husband spent many summers.
While her health allowed it, Claire was a faithful member of St. Anne's Parish of Hampstead, a former member of St. John the Baptist Parish in Haverhill, and a communicant at Our Lady of Sebago during the summer months.
An avid knitter, she made hundreds of caps which were donated to schools, churches, Veterans organizations and other charitable foundations. Many babies received woven blankets that she loved to craft on a homemade wooden frame.  She was a voracious reader and loved watching the Red Sox and game shows, particularly Jeopardy, at which she excelled. Her favorite activity was swimming and being by the water. Claire cared for her mother in her home for many years, and during that time, most summer mornings were spent at Kingston State Park, driving children to swimming lessons, and then bringing a carload back to White Sands in the afternoon.  In later years, she spent as much time as possible in Sebago and loved sharing these times with her grandchildren.
She will be missed by her family - son and daughter-in-law William and Deborah Mace of Sandown, daughter and son-in-law Claudine and Carl Dias of Kingston and former son-in-law Dennis Delay of Grand Junction CO and son Stephen Mace of Danville and her grandchildren - in whom she took particular delight - Kimberly, Nicolas and Stephanie Mace, Maura Belonga and Joshua Delay and Tyler Mace. Mrs. Mace was also blessed with great-grandchildren Dennis Martinez and Kendra, Olivia and Shamus Delay and was predeceased by great-grandson, Jackson Wyatt Mace.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Mrs. Mace's Life Celebration to be held on Thursday, June 8, 2017 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home, 116 Main St., Plaistow, NH. Her funeral will be held on Friday, at 9 a.m. from the funeral home with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in Saint Anne's Church, Emerson Avenue, Hampstead, NH. Burial will follow in the Meetinghouse Cemetery, Danville.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either the Claudine Hanlon Scholarship Fund, c/o Danville NH Trustee of Trust Funds or the American Lung Association. To send a message of condolence to the family or to find directions to our home, please visit www.brooksidechapelfh.com.