Clare Mesina

At age 93, Clare Magdalene Klaus Mesina passed peacefully into her heavenly reward at 3:50pm on June 19, 2026 amid calls of love and blessings from her children and grandchildren. She was born January 19,1933 to William J and Clara T Klaus and grew up in Brookline, Pa. She graduated in the top-10 of her High School Senior Class and began commuting by streetcar to take college classes. She met a handsome young motorcycle-riding, curly-haired young man, George Mesina, who soon joined the Marine Corps but wooed her with weekly love letters during his term of service. Meanwhile, Clare embarked on a career as an executive secretary, and bought her own car, but upon his return from the Korean War, she wedded her love, on 11/22/1955, a marriage that lasted 66 years.

Clare was a strong resilient lady. She raised 6 children, stretching every dollar by shopping every sale and applying every useful coupon. She overcame a house-destroying fire, finding the family an amazing new home. Upon her father-in-law’s retirement, her husband took over the long-standing George The Tailor drycleaning business in Dormont, Clare became the bookkeeper and handled huge issues such as replacement of the building’s roof and replacement of the drycleaning machine. Miraculously, she survived and thrived after both six weeks of intubation and a 10-hour brain tumor operation, during which time she had to remain awake, all at age 85!

Clare loved to have conversations with family members in order to get clues about the preferences and favorites things of others. Her grandchildren fondly remember the “magical” Christmas Day evening celebrations, opening carefully curated Santa Sacks of gifts that she would work on all year to fill. Each grandchild would receive gifts that were specific to their favorite types of toys or colors, tastes, and all-around things they loved. In her final years, Clare gradually stepped back to enjoy life's simple pleasures, including tabletop games, crossword puzzles, shopping, and visits from family. She was especially appreciative that her two youngest children lived with her so that she could live out her days in peace, love, and comfort despite the challenges of advanced age.

Clare is survived by six children, George (Maggie), Marilyn (Ron) Carter, Carolyn (Dave) Lacek, Maureen Lehman, Lorraine Mesina, and Matt Mesina, 19 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren. Family and friends will be received from 2-4 and 6-8 on Tuesday June 23 at PAUL HENNEY FUNERAL HOME, 5570 Library Rd, Bethel Park, PA. Her funeral Mass is at St. Valentine Church at 10AM on Wednesday June 24 and she will be laid to rest with her husband at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies.

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