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Obituary for Claire L. Allee
Claire L. Allee of Littleton, CO, passed away on Sunday, October 16, 2016, at the age of 78. Claire is survived by her son Stephen (Margaret) Allee of Littleton, CO, granddaughters Arianna and Cailyn Allee of Littleton, CO and daughter Jeannine (Kate) Allee of Cincinnati, OH and extended family.
Claire was born in 1938 to Lena and Stephen Acquario in the Bronx, NY. Though she was an only child she had extended family close by and grew up side by side with her cousins Janet and Billy. Her mother was a seamstress so she learned to sew early on, and took piano lessons from a young age. She attended St. Barnabas high school and graduated in 1956, and went on to Becker Junior College in Wooster MA, from which she graduated in 1958.
During the 60s and early 70s she lived in Manhattan and worked for various hospitals and doctors as a medical secretary; during that era she had many responsibilities that would now be performed by a nurse or medical assistant but at the time the “office girl” did it all. She traveled to Italy and Spain and was always meeting interesting and famous people through her work connections. She even once had cocktails with Walter Cronkite.
She met her husband Grant Allee in 1973 in Manhattan. They married the following year and due to Grant’s work, they soon relocated to Battle Creek MI. There she began a new life in Suburbia and embraced the role of being a retail executive’s wife, hosting dinners and gatherings. They had their first child, Stephen in 1975. Shortly after, they relocated to St. Louis MO, and had their second child, Jeannine in 1978.
The family returned to New York and spent time in Rochester and Syracuse where Claire became active in her children’s schools, volunteering in the cafeteria and as a Girl Scout troop leader. This dedication to her children continued throughout their school years in Youngstown OH, cheering them on at every baseball or soccer game, dance recital, musical, and band concert. She was the President of the Band Parents’ Association at Canfield High School for many years, organizing yearly banquets and chaperoning countless football games and band trips. By this time she had also rejoined the work force, again working in medical offices doing scheduling and billing.
After her husband passed in 2005, and with the encouragement of her good friend Kathy Komara, Claire headed west to Denver, CO where Stephen had settled and was an aspiring chef. She enjoyed exploring the culinary scene there. She took up knitting and loved to create cozy scarves and hats for family and friends. She spent lots of time at her local libraries, participating in all manor of arts and crafts activities. She was thrilled to become a grandmother and doted on her two granddaughters Arianna and Cailyn as “Nonni Claire.”
Claire loved to chat with new people, and never met a stranger. One would not have to be in conversation with her for very long to know she was exceedingly proud of her children’s accomplishments, Stephen as a successful restaurateur and Jeannine as a pediatrician in Cincinnati, OH. She was warm in her hospitality and strong in her Catholic faith. She was loved dearly and will be missed profoundly.
A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, October 21, 2016 at 10:30 AM at Light of the World Roman Catholic Church, 10316 West Bowles Avenue, Littleton, CO 80127.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made in Claire’s name to Denver Public Library Friends Foundation or The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).
Please see Memorial Contributions below for more details.
Denver Public Library Friends Foundation https://secure.qgiv.com/for/dplff 720-865-2049
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) https://donate.lls.org/lls/donate (888) 557-7177
