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Claire Ann (Colombo) Kelly

Claire Ann (Colombo) Kelly of The Hearth, Madison, originally from Brockton, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on Aug. 18, 2023 at Connecticut Hospice in Branford, after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer.

Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, she was the beloved daughter of Flaviano and Clara (Galante) Colombo, and loving sister of the late Louis “Sonny” Colombo.

She worked as a secretary at Raytheon in Braintree, where she met her husband, Paul Kelly. She then turned her attention and loving ways to becoming a homemaker, where she embraced and excelled at family life, raising three children: Karen, Mark, and Nancy.

She was a wonderful and loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and friend. She had a huge heart and a kind, generous, and loving spirit. Always quick to compliment, encourage, and help others in any way she could, she brought smiles, joy, and laughter to all those lucky enough to know her and have her in their life.

She was a fun-loving person with an infectious laugh. A social butterfly and avid Boston sports fan, she enjoyed walks, cooking, going to the movies, and her knitting group. But she loved nothing more than spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren, whom she so adored. What Claire enjoyed most in life was her family. She was a wonderful mother, but she took it up several notches when she became a grandmother. “Gramma” was over the moon in love with and proud of all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They meant the world to her, and she would have done anything for them. She loved to cook for them and would make them any special requests, no matter the hour. Her specialties were her sauce and meatballs, pastina, pizzelles, chocolate chip pancakes, French toast, as well as fun outings to Dairy Queen. Sleepovers with her were always full of fun, a little mischief, plenty of food, and lots of love. She cherished every moment with them, right up until her death.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Paul; her parents; and brother. She will be remembered in love and profoundly missed by so many, but especially her children, Karen (Joseph) Tracy of Clinton, Mark (Nicole) Kelly of Splendora, Texas, and Nancy (Jeff) Bergmann of Athens, Alabama; her seven grandchildren, John, Paul and Julianna Kelly, Renee, Kevin, Paul, and Matthew Tracy; two great-grandchildren, Reece and Sadie Kelly; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Family and friends are invited to attend calling hours from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24 at Russell & Pica Funeral Home, 165 Belmont St. Brockton, MA, with a funeral Mass to follow at 3 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes, 433 West St. Brockton, MA. Interment at Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne will be private.

For those wishing, donations can be made in her memory to The National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation (www.NPCF.us).