Claire Louise Safford

"South Hadley - Claire L. (Lallier) Safford, 80, passed on January 14, 2019 with her family by her side. Born February 2, 1938 Waterbury, CT, to Earl and Hilda (Poudim) Lallier, she was raised by her mother and her aunt Mary Poudim, with support from her close-knit aunts and uncles. Claire grew up in Waterbury, and has lived in Patchogue, Monsey, Webster, Orchard Park (all NY), and Quincy, Illinois. For the past few years, she has resided in South Hadley in order to be closer to her children. She earned her BS in Biology at Wagner College in 1959, and her MS in Radiation Biology at University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1960. She then worked as a radiation biologist at Brookhaven National Laboratories where she met her husband Dr. George Safford. (He was a nuclear physicist...her children joke “it was fusion!”). Her passion remained in caring for her children, which expanded into human rights for all. She worked with passion and a deep inquiry into the issues she cared about including civil rights, gender equality, and voting rights. She was president of the Webster School Board. In Quincy, she was active in many forms of service including: President of the Library Board, active in the League of Women Voters including a time as the president (Claire was also active in the LWV chapters of Orchard Park, NY and Amherst, MA), she worked as a literacy volunteer, was the chair of the city’s Human Rights Commission, and a member of the Family Planning Board. In the South Hadley area, she was active in the 5 College Learning in Retirement Program. Friends speak of her as a mentor, and someone who was not afraid to speak “truth to power”. In 2009, she was predeceased by her husband, George and will be deeply missed by her two children, Frederick Safford of Eden, NY and Alison Safford of Jamaica Plain, MA. She also leaves 2 brothers, Richard and his wife Colette Lallier of Georgia and CT and Bruce and his wife Barbara Lallier of PA along with many nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. Besides her husband, she was also predeceased by 2 brothers, William and David. A memorial service will be held in May 18th at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in South Hadley at noon. Her children, in keeping with Claire’s wishes, ask that donations be sent to the League of Women Voters, or Wagner College’s Department of Biology."