Claire Madeleine Dupuis

POLAND – On the morning of June 6, 2022, the world lost a remarkable soul when Claire Madeleine Dupuis passed away after a brief yet fierce fight with cancer. She was 78 years old.Claire was born on June 3, 1944 in Lewiston, the youngest child and only daughter of Albert “Rene” and Emelda “Medora” Cloutier. She was raised in a family apartment in Lewiston with her three brothers, Paul, Roger, and Gerry, and she often spent time with her extensive network of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents who all lived nearby.At age 13, Claire met E. Paul Dupuis on a neighborhood tennis court, never imagining that this boy would one day become her husband. Incidentally, she beat him at tennis that day. Claire attended St. Dom’s and graduated in 1962. She was a lifelong parishioner at St. Mary’s where she received all her sacraments, including the sacrament of marriage on Jan. 16, 1965. In October of 1966, Claire and Paul welcomed their first child, a beautiful daughter, Denise Elaine. In 1969 and 1970, they welcomed the dynamic duo, Eric Rene and Gerry Emmanuel. Claire held many jobs while raising her family and throughout her life. First as a florist at Blais Flower Shop, then as a stitcher at Bon-An Shoe Shop. Sadly, on Feb. 16, 1976, the old farmhouse in Poland that had been the Dupuis family home burned down due to a faulty TV. After her husband rebuilt their home, she opted instead to work for herself, running an in-home daycare for more than 10 years. This may have been her one true calling, as there has rarely been a person alive who loved children more or treated them with more patience and kindness. She never hesitated to stop what she was doing to answer their questions or watch them perform some impressive feat. All the while, she simultaneously kept the books for her husband’s home heating business, Dupuis Heating. After the closure of her daycare, she continued to bookkeep for Dupuis Heating and took another job as a switchboard operator at St. Mary’s Hospital which she continued until the time of her passing.Claire and Paul had the rare opportunity to retire and move onto their sailboat, Stargazer II, in 2002. They spent from September to June traveling down the eastern seaboard and sailing in the Florida Keys and around the Bahamas. Their amazing adventures allowed them to develop lifelong friendships with like-minded sailors. When they became grandparents for the eighth time in 2014, they sold their boat to move back to Maine full-time to assist with childcare. There is nothing Claire loved more than her family. She spoke with pride about all three of her children and particularly adored her eight grandchildren. As much as she loved her own family, she saw very little distinction between the children she was given in life and those that she “adopted” through childcare and friendships. Her kid’s friends were like her own, and she showered them with an equal amount of love and support. Her ability to easily relate to kids may have been in part because at 4’10” she was rarely taller than any of them!Claire adored a good game – from cards to dominoes, and most especially Scrabble, she was always up for a good match. Claire was fiercely competitive, but always so much fun to play with. Although she played with fairness, she never let anyone win if she could help it – not even the little ones. She wanted them to learn the rewards of healthy competition and the integrity of good sportsmanship. These lessons are indelibly imprinted on all those who had the good fortune to play with her. It is also clear to everyone who knew her that Paul was the love of her life. Through thick and thin, good times and bad, they stood together and held each other up. They were fortunate that throughout their 62 years together – as their lives ebbed and flowed, they were able to support each other and lift-up everyone around them. Their love for each other has been and will remain an inspiration for everyone who had the privilege of knowing them.Claire was preceded in death by her parents Rene and Medora Cloutier; her brothers, Gerry, Roger, and Paul Cloutier, and her dear m’tantes Jeane, Lorette, and Louise. She is survived by her adoring husband E. Paul Dupuis; daughter and son-in-law Denise and Tony Corey, son and daughter-in-law Eric and Rebecca Dupuis, son Gerry Dupuis, adopted children Wendy O’Connell and Michael Francis Raymond; and grandchildren Xavier, Alex, Nick, Joseph, Margaret, Elise, Alexander Jax, and Madeleine.Celebration of Life will take place on Sunday, June 12 at 1 p.m. American Legion, Post 31, 426 Washington St., N Auburn, ME 04210In lieu of flowers,donations may be madein Claire’s honor to:Androscoggin HomeHealthcare & Hospicewww.Androscoggin.org