Claire A. (Wirf) Nickerson

Claire A. (Wirf) Nickerson, 88, of Warren, died on Friday, November 10, 2023, at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield after a brief illness.

She leaves her daughter, Deborah Tonelli and her husband Norman of Westerly, RI; two sons, Timothy Nickerson of Warren, and Jeff Nickerson and his wife Sharon of North Brookfield; four grandchildren, Melissa Vadnais, Allyson Manganello, Tyler Nickerson and Conor Nickerson, as well as three great-grandchildren, Timothy, Rachel, and Julian Letourneau. She was predeceased by her parents, Walter Wirf and Hattie (Chapin) Wirf, her sister Hilda (Wirf) Zrate, and the love of her life, her husband, Donald Nickerson, who passed away in September.

After graduating from Warren High School, Claire married her high school sweetheart “Nick” and began to raise her family.  Along with her husband she helped manage Nickerson’s Par 3 golf course cooking hundreds of meals over many years. She volunteered her time on the Warren Fire Dept. Auxiliary where she helped serve coffee and food to firemen fighting fires at all hours of the day and night. For many years she volunteered counting votes at annual elections for the town of Warren.  Past jobs included being a secretary at WARE radio station, hostess at Salem Cross Inn, and for many years working in the office at Warren Pumps.

Claire was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. At an early age Claire excelled at tap dancing and would perform in local recitals. She was an excellent seamstress, sewing beautiful clothes and costumes for her children and grandchildren.  She loved gardening and crafts. She enjoyed travelling on cruises with Nick and also taking many fun trips with her grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with “the girls” having coffee at the Warren Spa. Claire was a very generous person who would help anyone in need.

Nick and Claire were a wonderful and loving couple and will be missed by all who had the privilege to know them. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Honor Flight Connecticut at www.honorflightct.org or Second Chance Animal Shelter at https://www.secondchanceanimals.org/donate/.  

A joint graveside burial for Nick and Claire will be held in the spring at Pine Grove Cemetery in Warren and updates will be posted on this obituary.

An online guest book is available at varnumfuneralhome.com 

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