Claire Hamerstrom

Claire (Lambert) Hamerstrom, 80, of Willimantic, formerly a resident of Chaplin for 35 years, died Thursday Jan. 2, 2014. She was born March 6, 1933 in CT., the daughter of the late Adrian and Bernice Lambert. In her early years, her family traveled extensively throughout the U.S., her father working as a carpenter at government installations during World War II. Claire was a graduate of Windham High School. She was a retiree of the State of CT having been employed as a cook at the former Mansfield State Training School. Claire was an avid yarn crafter and enjoyed summer visits to Mystic. She is survived by a sister Shirley (Lambert) Rogers, a son John Hamerstrom, two daughters, Dorothy Hamerstrom and Diana Allyn and her husband Jim; two granddaughters, Patricia and her husband Brandon and Sarah and her husband Rob; and a great granddaughter Brodie. Funeral services will be private with no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, her family suggests memorial donations to Alzheimer's Association, CT Chapter, 2075 Silas Deane Highway, Rocky Hill, CT. 06067, www.alz.org/ct , or to American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454 ,Alexandria, VA 22312, www.diabetes.org . For an online memorial guestbook, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com .