Marie Claire Hucl

Marie Claire Hucl was born in Maisonnais-sur-Tardoire (France) on September 18, 1928 and passed away in Saskatoon (Canada) on August 10, 2022. Claire spent her childhood years in Cheronnac (France) before moving to Paris in 1946 where she worked for the postal service. It is in Paris during a commuter train strike in 1952 that she met Rudy, a debonair Czechoslovakian, while sharing a taxi to work. In 1954, Claire crossed the Atlantic via ocean liner disembarking in Quebec City before settling in Dorval, where Rudy worked for Trans Canada Airlines. Following her marriage to Rudy, she lived in Dorval, Zurich, Antigua, Vienna, Moscow and Ottawa with short stints in Grand Cayman and Havana. In addition to negotiating numerous relocations over a 30-year period, Claire was a consummate host.

Claire and Rudy divided their time between a condominium in Ottawa and country home in Cheronnac. Claire made the annual trek for over 40 years, until she was 90 years old. Claire loved gardening and maintaining her property in Cheronnac. Claire made close, life-long friends in each of the cities she called home and looked forward to their visits and correspondences throughout the years. Claire enjoyed sharing her fine cuisine and travel stories with family, friends and acquaintances. In later years she became a fierce competitor playing Scrabble (in person and on-line), looked forward to weekly social visits to the local casino with friends and keeping physically and mentally active every day.

Her husband Rudy (2002), her parents (Henri (1993) and Helene Lapapeliere (1988)), and brother Guy (2018) predeceased Claire. Her sister Giselle Reiss (David), son Pierre (Donna Chizen) and granddaughters Katia (Andre) and Madeleine (Brody) survive Claire. Claire is also survived by extended family in France and her chosen family, Jean Philippe Tabet and Margot Flah (Ottawa) and Anne Terrier (Paris). Marie will be laid to rest next to her husband in the family plot in France.

Cremation arrangements entrusted to Travis Minor.