Claire Marie Therese (Margand) Gonsalves went home to Jesus on January 12, 2022 at age 87. Claire was born to Arthur and Mabel (Corke) Margand on May 15, 1934 in Bronx, New York and was raised by her mother and step-father Arthur Adey in Saint Lucia. As a child, she excelled in school and was a member of Girl Guides Association of Saint Lucia.
Claire met her husband, H. Norman Gonsalves in Castries, Saint Lucia, a match truly made in heaven. They married after dating for two years on June 12, 1954 and went on to have three children, Christina, Tessa, and Christopher. After traveling the world as an Air Force wife and mother for 25 years, in 1979 they moved their family to Orlando, Florida.
In addition to being a dedicated and loving mother, Claire loved art, staying actively involved in her job at Kaley Elementary School, and holding various volunteer roles at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church. Throughout her entire life, she held an unwavering faith in God, which she shared with those who surrounded her.
Now that Claire has passed into the arms of our Lord, we should remind ourselves that while this is the end of Claire's physical life on Earth, it's the beginning of an eternal and beautiful journey for her. Claire joins her parents, daughter Christina, grandson PJ, and brother David in Heaven. She is survived by many loving family members, including her husband, H. Norman Gonsalves, her children, Tessa (Shaun) Rochet, Christopher Gonsalves, her grandchildren Lauren Rubio, Alexander Molina, Jordan Molina and her sister, Margaret Miles. The family would also like to thank Jim and Cathy Mills and Geneva Wilburn for their care and dedication.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, January 29th at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church, 4545 Anderson Rd, Orlando, FL 32812. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Claire's life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
If you would like to leave a memory of Claire, please visit the guestbook below to leave the message for the family,