CHICOPEE ~ Leona J. (Dame) Carriere, 97, of the Fairview section of Chicopee, was Called Safely Home on Monday, August 13, 2018. She passed into Eternal Life at Wingate at West Springfield surrounded by the care and comfort of her loving family and her wonderful caregivers. She was born in Holyoke on May 5, 1921, a beloved daughter of the late, John and Celina (Langlois) Dame. She was raised in Holyoke and lived there until moving to Fairview in 1959. She was last employed as an Assistant Cook for the Chicopee School Department at Chapin School. She previously worked for many years at Sentry Uniform in Chicopee. Most of all, she was a wonderful homemaker to her family and showered them with her love and affection which was returned to her a thousand fold. She was predeceased by her beloved husband of over 43 years, Ernest J. Carriere who was Called Home on October 14, 1982. She leaves her three loving children, Connie Dragon and her husband, Bob, of Westhampton, Ernest A. Carriere and his wife, Kathleen, of Chicopee and Linda Carriere and her husband, Tarek Hamdi, of Irvine, CA; her nine cherished grandchildren, Karen Wakeling and her husband, Tim, Susan Sojkowski, Robert Dragon, Jr. and his wife, Joyce, Michael Carriere and his wife, Jillian, Sharon Ashley and her husband, Rick, Nurah Hamdi and her husband, Mohammed, and Dahlia, Ameenah and Roqayah Hamdi; her twelve cherished great-grandchildren, David and Peter Wakeling, Daniel, Bryan and Katie Sojkowski, Jennifer, Heather and Robert Dragon, Vivian and Scarlet Carriere and Caroline and Clayton Ashley; her six cherished great-great grandchildren, Austin, Elliott and Genevieve Sojkowski and Isla, Finn and Yara, Sojkowski; her dear brother, Robert A. Dame and his wife, Noella; her dear sister-in-law, Paulette Dame; and her many dear nephews, nieces, cousins, friends, and extended members of the Carriere and Dame families. Besides her parents and husband, she was also predeceased by six dear siblings, Charles, John, Adele, Lucille, Alice and Claire. Her funeral will be held on Saturday morning, August 18, 2018 beginning at the St. Pierre – Phaneuf Fairview Chapels, (413-533-3307), 506 Britton Street, Chicopee, MA 01020, (funeral home will open at 8:30 a.m.), followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. in Saint Anne Church, 30 College Street, Chicopee, MA 01020. Her burial will follow the Mass at Notre Dame Cemetery, 63 Lyman Street, South Hadley, MA 01075. Her family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday morning, August 18, 2018 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. before the Mass. The parking lot is located in the rear of the funeral home. For those who prefer, her family requests that memorial donations be made in her memory to the Hospice of Western and Central Massachusetts, 1325 Springfield Street, Suite 12, Feeding Hills, MA 01030 or to Saint Anne Church, 30 College Street, Chicopee, MA 01020. For more details, please visit: www.stpierrephaneuf.com
