Claire M.

Benson

Claire M. Benson

June 8, 1933 – October 30, 2026

Lake Mary, Florida

Claire M. Benson, of Lake Mary, Florida, entered into eternal rest on October 30, 2026, at the age of 93. She had lived in Florida for the past five years.

Claire was the daughter of the late Bernard and Margaret (Mullarkey). She was born on June 8, 1933, in Newburgh, New York.

Claire was raised in an Irish Catholic family in Newburgh, surrounded by many relatives. Before moving to Florida, she was a lifelong area resident, residing in New Windsor for many years.

Claire began her education at St. Patrick's Girls Elementary School and graduated from Newburgh Free Academy with honors in 1951. Claire retained many of her school friendships throughout her lifetime.

Claire worked for many years as a legal secretary and as an administrative assistant for Congressman Hamilton Fish Jr. She retired from the Town Attorney's Office in New Windsor.

Claire was known for her wonderful sense of humor, her kindness, and her willingness to help anyone who needed it. She had a way of making everyone around her laugh and feel cared for. Highly intelligent and capable, she was exceptionally skilled in her work in the legal field, and those who knew her often felt she could have been an attorney herself. Above all, Claire was a genuinely good-hearted person who was loved by everyone who knew her.

Claire was very active in her New Windsor community. She served as an elected member of the Board at Kingswood Gardens, a member of the New Windsor Republican Committee, and a member of the New Windsor Board of Assessment Review. She enjoyed working at the polls on Election Day.

Never one to sit still, after retiring she was a volunteer at St. Luke's Hospital and also volunteered delivering meals for the Meals on Wheels program. Claire was a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas and a member of Sacred Heart Church in Newburgh.

Claire was predeceased by her beloved husband, John "Jack" Benson; her son, Jack; her sister, Margaret, and brother-in-law, William Cleary; her brother, John "Jack" Mullarkey; and her nephews, Daniel and Peter Mullarkey.

Claire is survived by her beloved granddaughter, Siobhan Benson of Brooklyn; her nephew, Kevin Cleary, and his family of Belle Isle, Florida; her sister-in-law, Patricia Mullarkey, and her family of New Windsor; and many cousins.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, November 23, 2026, at Sacred Heart Church in Newburgh, New York. Following Mass, Claire will be buried in her family plot at Calvary Cemetery in New Windsor.