Clare Elizabeth (O'Neill) Faherty

Clare Elizabeth Faherty died in the presence of her heartbrokenfamily, in LaGrange, Illinois on the morning of September 9, 2025.  Clare was 89 years old.  She was the first daughter of James and Mary O’Neill of Milton, Massachusetts.  Clare was a beautiful and bright child, excelling in school, at writing, in making friendships, in adding fresh insights to conversations.

When Clare was 20 years old, she graduated from Boston College, where she had a merit scholarship, with a bachelor’s degree in education.  During her time at BC, she went on a date with a handsome, dynamic naval officer from Dorchester,Massachusetts, Paul Faherty.  They saw the movie Martyfollowed by conversation over coffee and brownies.  Shortly after Clare’s graduation, they married, happily, and over time had five children:  Paul (Mary Tsai); Teresa (Robert Blomquist); Sara (Markus Dubber); John (Libby Hunter).   Their youngest daughter, Maura, died in a car accident in 1984, the most painful event of Clare’s life.  Clare withstood the tragedy through her sincere faith and long, sustaining friendships with Terry and Renee Norton, Terry and Tom Coffey, Sheila Clements Murray, Mary Ann and Bob Tuerk, Len and Nancy Vertuno – and so many dear friends and neighbors who cannot all be named here.  Clare’s relationships with other people were the most important thing to her in life.  When Clare looked at you with herbeautiful, intelligent green eyes, you knew she was listening with her whole mind and heart.  Clare’s consistent patience, tolerance, and kindness are traits her friends and family admired and even marvelled at.  

As a public school teacher on Chicago’s West Side, Clare taught many kindergartners and first graders to read, write and play in her peaceful classroom. Clare believed in education as a human right. In the 1980’s, Clare and Paul, along with other St Luke parishioners, helped found The Learning Center in North Lawndale to teach literacy to adults whose educations had beencut short.  They tutored, raised money, and served on the board.  They also taught literature classes in Stateville prison.  Clare heard the call to remember and care for “the least of my brothers” and did what she felt she was called to do.   Clare believed in the equality of all people and fearlessly scorned ideas to the contrary.

Clare had a girlish quality that never left her.  She was slim, quick, loved to walk, reveled in nature, especially at the beach house in Humarock where she and Paul (until his death in 2019) spent many happy summers with their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and her in-laws – Clare, Tommy, Frank, Sheila, Don, Jack and Jan – who treated her like a sister and whom she loved deeply in return.  At Plymouth Place, where she was blessed in the last year of her life with excellent caregivers -- Roxie, Marquianna, Crystal and others -- she took long walks around the natural habitat on the grounds, always stopping to gaze thoughtfully at the swans and ducks.  A large red hawk, whom her caregivers named “Billy,” regularly perched on the balcony of her eighth-floor apartment.  Clare would get up to exchange long looks with Billy through the glass.    She loved the egrets of Humarock marshes most of all.

Bulbar ALS stole Clare’s voice several years ago but her family and friends can still hear it – so melodious and kind and gentle.  In any case, Clare was not one to talk about herself, unless someone asked.  We did not ask her why she chose Elizabeth as her confirmation name when she was 12 years old.  It may beshe chose it because she rejoiced in new life.  The births of her grandchildren – Maura (Matthew Uebbing), Dora, Clara, Davis (Zed Malmoux), Henry, Delaney, Theo, Luke, Sitota, Sophie, and Lucy – overjoyed her.  Quietly but surely, she formed a profound bond with each child.  Her great-granddaughter, HazelClare O’Neill, was the icing on the cake.

Clare loved painting and developed a style that was influenced by her heroes, Matisse and Cezanne, but was also her own.  She loved the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, National Public Radio, WTTW, opera, good novels, the New York Times, Shakespeare, Mary Oliver.  She was inspired by Julie Child’s TV show in the 1970’s and kept her friends and family happy with her elegant meals.  No one could write a letter like Clare – heartfelt, witty, comforting.  Many of Clare’s precious notes and letters survive, tucked away in books.  Clare wrote beautifully because her wisdom was matched by her sincerity.

Clare managed effortlessly (it seemed) to thoroughly enjoy life’s many pleasures while staying pure and true of spirit.   Her soul magnified the Lord.  With her long and beautiful life, Clare profoundly shaped many people, for the better. 

On Friday, September 19 at 9:00 am, visitation at St LukeCatholic Church, 7600 Lake St, River Forest, IL, followed byClare’s funeral mass at 10 am.  Burial at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, IL. In lieu of flowers, donations to The Learning Center tlcchicago.org are appreciated. Info. 708-366-2200 or www.zimmermanharnett.com.

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