THOMAS J. CLAVETTE

NEW CANADA – Thomas Joseph Clavette, 78, died Sept. 30, 2008, surrounded by his loving family at Cary Medical Center, Caribou, after a brief illness. Tom was born Feb. 4, 1930, in Fort Kent, the son of William “Willie” and Eugenie (Poirier) Clavette. Tom’s love for God and family and his enduring passion for service to others began early in life. In his early years, he helped in the family business and lumbering operations. Tom served in the U.S. Army, 1948-1952; graduated from the University of Maine – Orono, in 1957; and taught science, math and tree harvesting for 25 years at Fort Kent Community High School, where he met the love of his life, Anita Sirois, whom he married in 1960. In 1962, Tom designed and helped build his family home on the Clavette homestead property on Daigle Pond, where he and Anita raised their five children and where he lived until his death. Tom was a communicant of Holy Family Parish, New Canada, and later of St. John Vianney Parish. He served on the parish council and as an Eucharistic minister, lector and religious education teacher. He was a member of VFW Lozier O’Grady Post No. 9609. In his retirement, he volunteered for Hospice of Aroostook, guided the reconstruction of the Daigle Pond dam, served on New Canada Planning Board and served as town moderator. Tom and Anita served as a marriage encounter presenting couple for nine years. In his last years, Tom researched the Clavette family genealogy and wrote the book “300 Years of Anecdotal History 1705-2005.” Tom is survived by his beloved wife of 48 years, Anita (Sirois) Clavette; his five children, Denise and her fiance, Larry Mead and her children, Caitlin, Christopher and Seth Albert, of Scarborough, and their father, Kurt Albert; Margaret and her husband, Christopher Shuhart and daughter, Kathleen of Seattle; Andre and his wife, Jennifer (Roy) and daughters, Renee and Nathalie of South Berwick; Daniel and his wife, Kim (Lizotte) and children, Brenna, Jack and Anthony of Scarborough; and Nicole and her husband, Sean Devine and daughter, Amelie of Berwick; his sisters, Jeanne and her husband, O’Neil Martin, of Winslow, and Ann Clavette of Fort Kent; his brothers-in-law, Richard Sirois of Manchester, N.H., Leo Sirois of Edmundston, New Brunswick, and Romeo Sirois of South Portland; his aunt, Rita Fillion of St. Narcisse, Quebec; several nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents; his brother, Toussaint Clavette and wife, Bernadette; his sisters, Alice and husband, Ray O’Keefe, Loretta Clavette, Yvette Barr and Annette Clavette; brothers-in-law, Jean Paul Sirois and Lawrence Sirois; and several other relatives. Relatives and friends may call 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, and 9-10:15 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at Daigle & Nadeau Funeral Home, Fort Kent. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Soldier Pond. Committal services will be after at Holy Family Cemetery, New Canada. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may donate in his memory to St. John Vianney Restoration Fund, 26 Main St., Fort Kent, ME 04743; or Greater Fort Kent Ecumenical Food Pantry, 229 West Main St., Suite 103, Fort Kent, ME 04743. Those who wish may also have Masses said for Tom Clavette in your parish. Tom’s legacy will live on for those who knew him, and in his words: “Allons avec courage, Dieu vous attend.” “Let us go with courage, God waits for you.”