Claire Alessi

June 23, 1931 - June 17, 2015

Claire Alessi died peacefully on June 17th, with her family by her side, at Jersey Shore Medical Center. She would have celebrated her 84th birthday on June 23. She was born in East Orange NJ, grew up in Passaic, raised her family in Clifton and retired to Lakewood in 1998. Claire enjoyed many happy summers at her home in Monmouth Beach. Claire was active in her children’s activities when they were young including being the PTA president and a Brownie Leader. Claire had been very active in her Four Seasons community. She was also a Master Gardener, an avid ham radio operator, a harness race horse owner, and loved making beautiful stained glass creations. Claire worked for her family’s business, Alessi Brothers, a premier office furniture company in NYC prior to her marriage, and then worked at several companies before working for the Clifton Board of Education for many years. Claire was predeceased by her husband, Joseph M., her son Joseph T., her grandson Christopher Alessi, and her brother Joseph Henry Alessi. She is survived by her daughter Rosanne and her husband Ron Duffy, her son John and his wife Monica, her daughter-in-law Joanne DeJoy Alessi, her sister Rosalie Bruce, her sister-in-law Peggy Alessi, sisters-in law and brothers-in law Betty and Bill Brumitt and Matt and Rochelle Alessi, and 10 loving nieces and nephews. Claire was full of energy and spunk and was forever generous, always opening her heart and her home to family and friends. Claire loved Christmas Eve and up until several years ago, celebrated by inviting all of her family and friends to her home to enjoy her wonderful cooking and Christmas traditions. Cremation was private. A memorial service will be held at 10AM on Tuesday, June 23rd at the Church of St. Robert Bellarmine, 61 Georgia Road, Freehold. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Claire’s memory to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, 1111 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, NY 11714 or to New Hope Foundation at P.O. Box 66, 80 Conover Road, Marlboro, NJ 07746.