Claire Hickton

Claire (Barry) Hickton, 85, of Tolland, loving wife of the late Donald C. Hickton (2011), passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.

Born in Springfield, the daughter of the late Richard and Eunice (Ballou) Barry, she grew up and lived in Springfield and Ellington before moving to Tolland in 1967. Claire earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She was a longtime parishioner of St. Matthew Church in Tolland. Prior to her retirement in 2001, Claire was employed by Carlyle Johnson Machine Company in Bolton for 15 years. She was a volunteer for several years at the Tolland Historical Society. Claire was an avid reader, and she enjoyed gardening, going to craft fairs with her sister-in-law Ginny, making puzzles, and doing crossword puzzles. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and friend who enjoyed spending time with her family and friends.

She is survived by her daughters, Kelley Sutherland and her husband, David of Coventry, and Sandra "Sandie" Hickton and her domestic partner, Fred Linberk of Middletown; five grandchildren, Jason Hickton, Graciela Nunez and fiancé, Jesse Hayes, Jessica (Nunez) LaFond and her husband, Jeremy, and Christopher and Daniel Nunez; two great-grandchildren, Brenna and Kayleb Hickton; two sisters-in-law, Virginia "Ginny" Hickton of Rockville, and Lois Wood of Vernon; and several nieces and nephews. Claire was predeceased by her brother, Richard "Glenn" Barry.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, June 1, at 11 a.m. at St. Matthew Church, 111 Tolland Green, Tolland. Burial will follow in South Cemetery in Tolland.

Memorial donations in her memory may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, CT Chapter, 200 Executive Boulevard, Suite 4B, Southington, CT 06489-1058.

Ladd-Turkington & Carmon Funeral Home in Vernon is caring for the arrangements. For online condolences and guest book, please visit

www.carmonfuneralhome.com