Claudine Lalli Eckhart

Claudine Lalli Eckhart (b.1938), daughter of Italian immigrants Laudo Lalli and Giovanna Mazza Lalli, passed away gently and peacefully at home on November 29, 2025. For the last two years, Claudine was very well cared for by a somewhat distant (and much younger) relative, Kim Buscemi, of Grandview, who had an angelic presence in her life. Claudine always said “it’s never too late to have a happy childhood” and for the last two years Kim and mom’s best friend Ron and his husband Kevin (her godson), had fun like kids out of school for the summer–going out to lunch frequently, going to the zoo, and generally running around town. Kim in particular was like a one-woman "Make-A-Wish" foundation for mom which we can never thank her enough for.

The last 20 years of Claudine's life were made much more enjoyable by her grandson, Charlie, who has been the joy of her life since he was born. She was also surrogate grandmother to Summers and Jesse in the house next to hers and Graham, Jackson, and Carlie in the house behind hers. Living on the corner, she cultivated a close community of neighbors who were like family to her. They celebrated holidays with Claudine's family, and they took great care of her, especially during the pandemic lockdown.

Born in the family home on the outskirts of Mansfield, Ohio, Claudine played clarinet in the marching band at Mansfield Madison H.S., where she graduated in 1956. At the age of 18, she moved down to Columbus where she attended a training course to become an x-ray technician. She took her first job at University Hospital in Cleveland and in 1958, moved back to Columbus for a position at Ohio State University’s Tuberculosis Hospital where she worked until 1969.

She was married to Henry in a simple service at a judge’s house on Arlington Avenue in March 1963 and gave birth to her first daughter, Amy Katherine, in January 1965. Sadly, Amy was born with a heart defect and lived only a few weeks. Raising two children, who were born in 1967 and 1969, Claudine was a consummate practitioner of the arts of homemaking: sewing, baking/cooking, decorating, entertaining, and gardening.

As a host, Claudine planned and cooked elaborate annual Williamsburg-themed Christmas feasts in the 80s but was best known for her annual Pie Breakfast. From 1995-2015, her family would open their home from 10am-noon on Thanksgiving morning and 100+ people would come from all over the country to enjoy her homemade pies. At its peak in 2012, she was baking 25-30 pies the day before Thanksgiving and making 8-10 cold/cream pies on Thanksgiving morning. Friends would come, enjoy her pies, and then travel to whatever family dinner they were obliged to attend. On Thanksgiving Day last week, there were 7 pie breakfasts inspired by hers happening from coast-to-coast: Boston, DC, Columbus (3), Denver, and Los Angeles.

Claudine had a particular love of flowers and everyone in the neighborhood enjoyed walking past her garden in the summer. She raised dahlias in every color of the rainbow and often placed small bouquets for the neighbors beside her Little Free Library.

Claudine was also active in Democrat politics in the 1960s and 70s and was elected as a delegate pledged to Bobby Kennedy to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968. She had fond memories of meeting him during his stops in Columbus, including on May 13,1968, less than a month before he was assassinated. Claudine and Henry were part of the Kennedy motorcade from the airport to downtown and told stories of many people on Mount Vernon Avenue chasing the car to get a glimpse of–or shake hands with–RFK, who was a real hero to her as an advocate for the poor and oppressed.

In her 70s, Claudine took 4 trips to her ancestral villages in Italy and created a community of friends who became like family in Umbriatico (Calabria), where her mother's side of the family is from. She will be greatly missed by the people in Umbriatico and Cerreto (Abruzzo), where her father is from. She also took a trip to China when she was 75 and climbed the Great Wall with Bob and his mentor/guru, Minru Li, who will miss her greatly as well.

Finally, Claudine was an enthusiastic and quite active member of the Newman Center congregation for decades, where she made many lifelong friends who were with her for the rest of her life. Many of those congregants followed her to Our Lady of Victory Church after the Columbus Diocese made radical and unwelcome changes to the Newman Center. Father Romano Ciotola, born in the same village as Laudo Lalli and so many Italians in Central Ohio, reinvigorated the Our Lady of Victory parish especially during the Lenten fish fry season. Many of Claudine’s favorite times the last few years have been at OLV so it is a particularly fitting place for people to gather in her memory.

Preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Henry, and her infant daughter Amy, Claudine is survived by two children, Anne and Bob, his wife Brieanne Beaujolais, and Anne’s son, Charlie, her beloved grandson.

All arrangements in her memory will be hosted by Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, 1559 Roxbury Rd. Calling hours 4:30-6:30 Friday, December 5, 2025 at the Parish Hall, and funeral mass at 10:30 Saturday, December 6, 2025 with luncheon to follow. In lieu of sending flowers, please plant some flowers in the spring…preferably dahlias, mom’s favorite.