Claire Ann Dillon

September 5, 2021

Claire Ann Dillon, age 94, of Toms River, loving mother, sister, godmother, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend passed away gracefully and peacefully into the loving arms of the Lord to begin eternal life, on September 5th at Community Medical Center, with her family at her side. Claire was born in Carbondale, PA, then moved to Ridgefield Park, NJ where she was raised with her siblings, Jack, Catherine, Ann, and Mary. She graduated from Englewood School of Nursing and earned an R.N. Degree. She loved nursing and especially enjoyed taking care of newborn babies. She met the love of her life, Wallace (‘Wally’) at Williams Lake in upstate New York. While Claire worked in Rangley, Colorado, they corresponded by writing letters and were married in 1953. They lived in Queens, NY, then moved to Haworth, NJ and raised their four children. She was an active member of the Rosary Altar Society at Sacred Heart Church and the Franciscan Sisters of Peace. She worked at Woodcrest Center in New Milford as a Registered Nurse for many years. They moved to Toms River 17 years ago. Claire was predeceased by her husband, Wally in 2011. She is survived by her loving children, Maureen Baletti and her husband, Gary, Lorraine Spina and her husband, Tony, Michael Dillon and Patrick Dillon and his wife, Jane. Also, she leaves behind five beloved grandchildren: Erin, and her husband Mike, Brian, Colleen, Alyssa and her fiancé Jason, and Gregory, one treasured great grand-daughter, Greta, as well as many cherished nieces and nephews. She was a communicant of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Toms River. She attended many retreats including Catholic Women of Zion and St. Joseph’s by the Sea. Claire often prayed novenas to St. Joseph for guidance and had a strong devotion to him as the foster father of Jesus. Her signature scripture was Psalm 23, ‘The Lord is My Shepherd.’ She loved to read numerous books at a time, enjoyed cooking and walking the bike path. Some of her culinary delights include- potato salad, rice pudding, ‘poof’ cake, fudge, waffle fries, stuffing, cranberry sauce, beef barley soup and the list is endless. She will be missed by many. Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day; unseen, unheard, but always near, they are in our hearts forever! In, lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Vincent DePaul Society at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Toms River.