From left to right: Claire's granddaughter Janie, and Claire's daughters Kathy, Michelle, Martha and Christine.

Claire's Chickadees: A Family United by Love, Loss, and Legacy

Claire Dion was supposed to live to 100. At least, that's what her daughters thought, as she aged into her 70s and 80s with no signs of slowing down.

"She was so active," recalled her daughter Christine. "When she was 79, she sold her boat, and got a jet ski because it was more fun. And that's pretty much tells it like it is."

That adventurous spirit showed up everywhere. Claire learned to fly small aircraft and even purchased a Cessna airplane. And in 1996, she ran with the Olympic torch in Massachusetts for the Atlanta Olympics, an honor she earned due to her volunteer efforts. But no matter where she went, family was always at the center. She had special relationships with each of her five children, 10 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

"Everyone says ‘I was definitely her favorite’ and that's because she really made everyone feel like you were her favorite," remembered granddaughter Janie.

Claire's outgoing personality and love of life have led to countless shared memories. At her cottage in Maine, she organized talent shows with old graduation gowns and dance recital costumes, held frog races, and created elaborate scavenger hunts. "The best summers of my life," Janie remembers.

But in July 2023, it all came to a sudden halt. Claire had a car accident coming home from church and ended up in the ICU with a hemothorax. Doctors spotted something on her lung but identified it as a blood clot; something that would disappear over time. For months, she suffered with a burning cough that nothing could relieve.

"We all felt something was wrong," her daughter Kathy said. "But for the longest time, we all just thought she needed more time to recover."

By January 2024, what doctors had thought was a blood clot was revealed to be stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer with a rare mutation. It had already spread to her spine and pelvis. The woman who had seemed invincible just six months earlier received the devastating diagnosis just before her 84th birthday.

After months of radiation appointments, hospital visits and rehab, Claire woke up one morning in April and told Kathy that something felt awful.

At the hospital, doctors discovered the extent of the cancer's spread and offered a number of paths forward; none of them had any guarantees. Claire chose hospice, and within days, was at the Kaplan Family Hospice House, where she would spend her final eight days.

Finding Peace in Professional Hands

At the Kaplan House, for the first time since Claire's diagnosis, the family could rely on others to manage her care, allowing her husband Ron and family to simply be by her side.

"We didn’t have to give her the medication,” Christine explained. “We didn’t have to figure out when she needed this or that. We could just be present with her."

“We could all be together,” remembered her daughter Martha. “The children and grandchildren all came to say goodbye. We laughed together. We told stories.”

Claire was unresponsive through most of her time at Kaplan, and the family never left her side. At least two people slept at the hospice house every night. The staff supported the entire family: bringing snacks, guiding visitors in and out, and helping them navigate their grief.

The peaceful environment, with doors opening to gardens where rabbits played, provided respite during the most difficult time.

"When you needed a break, you could go out and walk the grounds," Kathy said.

“We were so comfortable and so well-taken care of,” said Claire’s daughter Michelle. “It really felt like the staff there became part of our family.”

"They are angels at that place," added Christine. "Not just to her, but to all of us."

Walking in Her Memory

Now, for the second year, the family will participate in the Care Dimensions Walk for Hospice, an event that raises funds to ensure the level of care they received is available to everyone.

Janie, who works as a nurse at Care Dimensions, helped lead the effort. The family named their team “Claire’s Chickadees,” in honor of her term of endearment she had for all of them. Special team t-shirts each carry the same message: “I was definitely her favorite.”

For the family, the walk is both a celebration of Claire's life, and a way to give back for the exceptional care they received.

“I didn’t expect it to be so emotional,” said Kathy. “Hospice has touched the lives of so many people.”

Added Martha, “You know almost everyone there has gone through something similar. And that makes the event special.”

A Lasting Bond

Everyone in the family has a special memory of Claire, but it turns out there were two simple words that bonded them all together. Every birthday card and every note of affection that Claire wrote to her daughters always ended with “Love, Mom.”

"After she died, I took a picture of my birthday card and I sent it to my sisters, and I knew what they were going to say,” said Michelle.

They got matching tattoos on their wrists – simply reading “Love, Mom” – in their mother’s handwriting. It’s a piece of her they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Click here to learn more about the Walk for Hospice and how you can participate.