Clare Lagermasini Obituary

Nonprofit leader and activist, formerly of Montclair, 89
Clare (McHugh) Lagermasini, 89, formerly of Montclair, New Jersey, died on November 20, 2024. Clare was born in 1935 to Mary (Keating) and Joseph McHugh. She grew up in Brooklyn, NY with her six siblings and took great pride in her Irish roots. Clare graduated from Montclair State University and received her Master of Public Administration from Kean College. She spent her life promoting peace and social justice causes, initially as a member of the Young Christian Workers and later through her work with New Jersey Sane and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

Clare became involved in politics early in her career when she worked as an aide in New York Congressman Hugh Carey's Washington, DC congressional office. She was an active member of the Democratic Party of Essex County. Clare ran in the NJ 8th Congressional District Democratic primary in 1992 (known as The Year of the Woman) placing second among the five candidates. She was the founder and director of the Governing Institute of New Jersey, a non-profit that trained local activists to run for political offices and school boards. Motivated by her involvement in the Catholic social justice movement, Clare spent her career serving others. She worked for a number of nonprofits including Bread for the World, the Interfaith Hospitality Network for the Homeless of Essex County, the United Way of Essex County, and the International Institute of New Jersey.

Clare and her husband Richard moved to Montclair in 1968 to raise their four children and stayed for 54 years before moving to Leesburg, Virginia. She was a parishioner at St. Cassian Church where she ran Job Seekers of Montclair, a group that provided career training and support. A New Yorker at heart, Clare enjoyed taking the DeCamp bus into the city to see the opera and ballet with lifelong friends. She was an amazing networker who thrived at connecting people to career opportunities and resources. Clare could often be found walking in Brookdale Park.

Clare is survived her husband of 56 years, Richard; her sons, Paul and his wife, Maria, and Andrew and his wife Andrea; daughters Corinne and Carolyn; her grandchildren Christopher, Joseph, Evelyn, and Annabelle; and her sister Veronica Dixon. A service celebrating Clare's life will be held in Montclair on April 26, 2025.