Claire Wigandt

Claire (Sullivan) Wigandt, age 89, of Sudbury, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 30, 2025, with her family by her side, after a courageous battle with cancer. Born in Watertown, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of the late Henry Sullivan and Mary (Riccio) Sullivan, and one of eight children in a large Irish-Italian family of which she took great pride.

Claire was an absolutely remarkable woman who devoted her life to taking care of her family and loved ones. Her devotion was a way of life and something she wouldn’t trade anything in the world for. She was the matriarch of her family, teaching so many invaluable lessons with quiet strength and endless love. Claire faced many challenges throughout her lifetime, yet she never let an obstacle stand in the way of caring for her family. She faced all life’s challenges with grace and an unwavering commitment to those she loved. When things got hard, Claire found a way to laugh, sing, and remind her family with a gentle smile of Frank Sinatra's words: “That’s Life!”

Claire achieved so much through a life of resilience. After losing her home to a fire and then losing her husband and daughter at a very young age, Claire worked tirelessly through multiple jobs to support her family and raise them in Sudbury, something of which she was very proud. While she enjoyed all of her jobs throughout life, including many years at the Oak Knoll Nursing Home in Framingham, she found a true passion and second home as the Administrative Coordinator of the Sudbury Senior Center, where she served for more than 20 years and retired at the impressive age of 81. Claire made many friends at the Sudbury Senior Center and often referred to them as her family. She always tried to make every senior feel seen, important, and loved – just as she did with her own family.

However, Claire’s greatest love was time spent with family—siblings, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews—whom she adored. She cherished cooking for, and with, her grandkids and great-grandkids, and loved reminiscing with them about her childhood in a bustling Irish-Italian family in Watertown and Boston. Even in the toughest moments during the last few months, Claire still found a way to cook meals, clean, and drive her children to all of their appointments, never letting any of them feel alone. Holiday gatherings along with family trips and memories with her children and grandchildren to Disney World in Florida and Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire held a special place in her heart. She also treasured her summer trips with her children and lifelong friend Carolyn to Lake Carmi in Vermont and her moments along the shores of Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her other lifelong friend Sue.

She was the beloved wife of the late Arthur Wigandt. Claire is survived by her devoted children, Laurel L. MacKinnon, Peter J. Wigandt, and Lorraine G. Wigandt, all of Sudbury. She is also survived by her sister Mary Ann Sullivan of Sudbury, and her grandchildren Lindsay Tierney and her husband John of Boylston, John S. MacKinnon III and his wife Kimberly of Clearwater, FL, Chris MacKinnon and his wife Molly of Franklin, and Trevor MacKinnon and his wife Samantha of Beverly. Her great-grandchildren are Claire, Emma, Charlie, Maddy, Blakely, and Kensly. Claire also leaves her sister-in-law Fran Sullivan of Dennis, along with many nieces and nephews. She joins the late Maryann Wigandt (daughter), John S. MacKinnon Jr. (son-in-law) and her late brothers and sisters, all of whom she loved dearly and eagerly looked forward to reuniting with.

At the family’s request, immediate services will be held privately with the assistance of the Duckett - J.S. Waterman & Sons Home of Memorial Tribute, 656 Boston Post Road (Rt. 20), SUDBURY. A Celebration of Life for Claire will be held at the Martha-Mary Chapel and Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts, on her 90th birthday on March 15, 2026, with exact time & other details to follow on this website at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to the Lincoln-Sudbury Scholarship Fund Dollars for Scholars (LSFF), PO Box 693, Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776, in memory of the “John S. MacKinnon Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund”, a scholarship established in 2012 for Claire’s late son-in-law, John, whom she loved dearly and was so proud of.