Claire (Brown) B. McMahon Obituary
Born in Beverly, MA a daughter of the late Timothy J. and Anna V. (McGrath) Brown, she was a longtime resident of Fall River before moving to Studio City, CA to be with her family.
A graduate from the former St. Mary Star of the Sea High School, Class of 1940, in Beverly she graduated from the former F.G. Allen Business School in Fall River in 1941.
Actively involved in the funeral service industry for over 50 years at the O’Rourke Funeral Home with her late husband, she became president and treasurer of the business after his passing in 1983. She became affiliated with the Waring-Sullivan Funeral Homes in 1991 and remained an active consultant and funeral associate until her retirement in June of 2008. A secretary in the Development Department at Firestone Tire and Rubber Co she also worked in the Diocesan Health Facilities Office for many years. She received the Woman of the Year Award in 1979 from the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Greater Fall River.
A treasurer for the Board of Directors of the Senior Senate, she was appointed to the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs. She served as past president of the former Catholic Women’s Club, the former Mother McAuley Guild, the Friends of St. Anne’s Hospital where she also volunteered and was a member of the Fall River Historical Society and Lafayette Durfee Historical Foundation.
A communicant of St. Mary’s Cathedral, she was the president of the St. Mary’s Cathedral Seniors and was a recipient of the Marian Medal in 1968. Active in the Fall River Diocese, she held leadership positions in the Council of Catholic Women on the District, Diocesan and National levels as well as was president of the Association of the National Council of Catholic Women.
She is survived by one daughter, Ann Marie McMahon and her husband George “Dan” Mello; one grandson, Attorney Michael T. Lifrak and his wife Attorney Iris Lifrak, all of Studio City, CA; three step-grandsons, Dr. Joseph T. Lifrak and his wife Jill of Rehoboth, Josh Mello and his wife Fandy of Hingham and Nate Mello and his wife Kendra Nash of South Dartmouth; two great-grandsons, Ronan Tian Lifrak and Bodhi Joshua Lifrak and three step great-grandsons, Joseph, Jacob and Jackson Lifrak.
