BREWER – Claudette G. Faulkner passed away Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, surrounded by her loving family after a 23-year, courageous and valiant battle with breast cancer, which she faced with the same grace, strength and dignity in how she lived her life. She was born in Biddeford, the daughter of Ralph and Lorraine (St. Louis) Loranger.
Claudette was educated in parochial schools in the city and graduated from Biddeford High School in 1959. She graduated from Maine Medical Center School of Nursing in 1962. Claudette met her beloved husband of 48 years, Reginald D. Faulkner, while attending nursing school. They married in 1963 and moved to Holden before settling in Brewer in 1965. She was a loving wife and business partner with her husband. Together they founded and operated Faulkner Corp. and Faulkner Leasing, while raising four children. Their extraordinary bond of love was relied on throughout her more than 20-year fight with cancer, as her husband accompanied her to every doctor’s consultation, laboratory test and medical appointment seeking a cure. He continued round-the-clock care for Claudette every day during the last few weeks of her life. Her strong faith gave her tremendous strength throughout her life, especially in her heroic battle with cancer. She was a communicant of St. John’s Catholic Church, Bangor, where she served as a Eucharistic minister and was a member of the church’s Women’s Council. Claudette was a vocal champion of breast cancer research and awareness and was a founding member of the group responsible for bringing the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to Maine. A longtime member of Brewer Garden Club, Claudette’s passion for gardening found her often tending to her gardens at home and at the family’s cottage on Green Lake, where she especially enjoyed hearing the loons on warm, summer nights. She also had a passion for cooking and baking, especially on holidays, but particularly every Christmas, when family, friends and neighbors would be treated to her beautiful platters with delicious cookies and desserts. Claudette touched so many lives with her caring generosity, thoughtfulness and loyalty.
She is survived by her loving husband; daughter, Cynthia of Portland; and sons, Bruce of Brewer, Brian and his partner, Sharon Norris, of Holden and David, also of Holden. She also leaves behind her best friend and sister-in-law, Gloria Smith Faulkner of Eddington; and Gloria’s daughters and her nieces to whom she was very close, Lorraine of Eddington and Sonja of Los Angeles, who recently authored a book dedicated to her aunt, “What to do When Your Bosom Buddy or Loved One Has Breast Cancer.” Claudette was very honored and touched by the dedication, which reads “to the bravest warrior I know.” She is also survived by her sisters, Joann Twomey of Saco, Pauline Loranger of Saco and Constance Verrier and her husband, John, of Fairfield; her brother, Ralph and his wife, Joyce, of West Hartford, Conn.; as well as brothers-in-law, Phil Faulkner of Holden and Donald Coffin and wife, Alyson, of Brewer; sisters-in-law, Dorothy Andrews of Bangor and Joan Farrell and her husband, Richard, of Brewer; as well as several nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind very special friends including Joy Hallee, Joan Brooks, Jan Cox, John and Joyce Geras, and Fred McLaughlin, as well as her neighbors and friends of 47 years, Hank and Jean Hews. The family would like to thank the many doctors and nurses who provided compassionate and loving care for Claudette throughout the years, especially Dr. Thomas Openshaw, her oncologist and cheerleader of 23 years, Dr. Elizabeth Laverack, Jan Pilotte of CancerCare of Maine, Dr. Wendy Chen of Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and Mary Doherty of New Hope Hospice.
Friends may call 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, at the Family Reception Center of Brookings-Smith, 163 Center St., Bangor. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, St. John’s Roman Catholic Church, York Street, Bangor. Interment will be at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Bangor. Gifts may be made in Claudette’s memory to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168 or St. John’s Catholic Church, 207 York St., Bangor, ME 04401. Condolences to the family may be expressed at
www.BrookingsSmith.com.