Claire P. Donaghy

Claire Patrice Winifred Donaghy, loving mother of Lauren (Ryan) Brown, and Marisa (Andrew Petrucelli), died peacefully Saturday January 25 in the family home surrounded by the love of family with her faithful companion, Zoe the Boxweiler, by her side after a courageous battle with Pancreatic Cancer.

Claire was born in Brooklyn, New York. The second daughter of Jacqueline and John Donaghy. At a young age the family moved to Staten Island New York where Claire was raised with her five siblings. She attended school on Staten Island and graduated from Countess Moore High School. After high school, Claire attended nursing school at Saint Vincent SI earning her RN. After graduation Claire worked as a clinical nurse, and later as an APN, for nearly 50 years.

She married Robert Parise of Staten Island in 1978. Shortly after they wed, the young couple moved to Texas where Claire earned her Bachelor of Nursing degree from UT while working clinically. After becoming pregnant with their first child, the couple moved back north to be closer to family. They settled in Sparta NJ where she would reside for nearly 40 years, and raise her two daughters (Lauren and Marisa). Although they later divorced, Claire and Robert remained close friends and raised their daughters together. Over the years they also welcomed 6 grandchildren, Kelly Claire, Jennifer, Sienna, Connor, Ava and Kayla who were the light of her life. As much as Claire loved her children, she would often say being a grandmother was even better.

Early in her career Claire realized that she didn’t just enjoy clinical nursing, but that she also loved education as well. Therefore, she became a professor of nursing at CCM. In addition to being an educator she was also a lifelong learner. She continued to pursue her education while working full-time and raising two daughters. Receiving a master’s in nursing from Columbia, and then later her APN and a PhD in nursing education from Rutgers. She then took a faculty position in the nursing program at William Paterson teaching both bachelor and graduate level nursing. She would remain at WPU until her retirement.

Claire not only loved teaching and learning, but she also loved adventure, travel, sports, people, and service. She combined these loves and became a volunteer with Operation Smile. After her first mission, she was hooked, and Operation Smile became her passion. Through OS she would travel the world, on nearly 30 missions, bringing smiles to others and sharing her knowledge, skills, and kindness. While she loved her experiences worldwide, she developed a special love for Rwanda. After her first mission to Rwanda in 2014 Claire was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to teach nursing at the University of Kigali. She lived and worked in Rwanda for 8 months and it became her second home. She would return there many times for OS missions and at the end of 2025 she realized her dream of sharing her love of Rwanda with her family.

Claire was many things to many people. A loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, dear friend, mentor, and educator. She gave freely of herself and shared her love of life with all those she met. She will be greatly missed but her legacy will live on through those she inspired and that loved her tremendously. Although never long enough, hers was a life well lived. Claire did not want to be mourned but instead asked that those who loved her remember her and carry her legacy forward. There will be a celebration of life on April 25, 2026 at the family home for those who wish to pay respects and celebrate an incredible woman and a life well lived.