Claire Sabourin Arbour

Claire Sabourin Arbour, 89, a beloved mother of four and a devoted Catholic who was known by all at St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish in Longboat Key, passed away on Feb. 23, in the company of loving family members. Born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, Claire married Alger “Jay” Arbour on July 9, 1955, and began a journey with him following his NHL career all over Canada, ending up in the United States. She arrived in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island in 1973 and remained there until she moved to Longboat Key in 1999. She was married to Al for 60 years when he went home to the Lord in 2015. A member of the Ladies Guild of St. Mary’s, Claire prayed the Rosary daily, and had a prayer book packed with the special intensions of everyone she knew. Claire believed strongly in the power of guardian angels and never went anywhere without an angel pin on her shoulder. She enjoyed watching hockey until her final days and continued to watch nearly every NHL game. She was particularly dedicated to — and vocal about —rooting for her beloved New York Islanders. She loved playing games with her loved ones, whether it was scrabble, sequence, mahjong, or any card game, she was in it to win it and had so many laughs along the way. Al introduced her to the game of golf when they joined the Huntington Country Club. And Claire had the last laugh soon after, when she scored a rare “hole in one” — something Al, a professional athlete, never managed to accomplish. Claire is survived by a brother, three daughters, a son, eleven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband, Alger, she was also pre-deceased by her grandson, Jared Mazzola, who passed away in 2002 and her siblings Guy, Adrienne, Corinne, and Muguette. A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church on March 9 at 1 p.m. Friends will be received at 2:30 p.m. on the mezzanine level of Plymouth Harbor, 700 John Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Parkinson’s Foundation.

Tributes

Claire Sabourin Arbour

February 23, 2024