WEBSTER – Christine Helene "Chris" (Leclaire) McKay, 93, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 20, 2026, at UMass Memorial University Campus following a sudden illness. She is now reunited with her beloved husband of 48 years, Richard J. “Dick” McKay, who died in 2005. Together, they lived and worked in multiple states and enjoyed many cherished years at their home on Webster Lake.
Chris leaves behind a large and deeply loving family: nine children — Elizabeth “Lisa” A. Passaggio and her husband Ronald of Palm Beach, FL; Laura M. Parrish of Hollis, NH; Peter C. McKay and his wife Pamela of Weymouth; John M. McKay of Stoughton; Mary M. Angelos and her husband Scott of Stoughton, Richard J. McKay and his wife Audrey of Abington; Andrea C. Becker and her husband Marc of Webster, with whom she made her home; Christopher M. McKay and his wife MeLeah of Sparta, TN; and Douglas G. McKay and his wife Jennifer of Cape Neddick, ME.
She was a proud grandmother to 20 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren, and she cherished her many cousins, nieces, nephews, and close friends. Chris was predeceased by her dearly beloved older brother, Paul Leclaire, younger sister, Patricia Mitchell, and son-in-law, Brent Parrish.
Born in Worcester on April 24, 1932, Chris was raised in Oxford, the middle child of Dr. Ernest Leclaire and Pauline (Aschenbach) Leclaire. She graduated from Saint Louis High School in 1950, attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C. for two years, and earned her Bachelor of Nursing degree from Boston College in 1956.
Chris devoted her life to caring for others through her distinguished career as a registered nurse. Of her many roles, she especially treasured her later years before retiring as the school nurse at the Chaffee School in Oxford, where her compassion, steady presence, and gentle humor touched generations of students and families.
A woman of deep faith, Chris was a longtime member of Saint Louis Church. She expressed her creativity and love through quilting, knitting, primitive rug hooking, and stained-glass work. She was also an exceptional cook, and the cherished family recipes she passed down will remain a lasting legacy of her warmth, generosity, and devotion to family.
Her funeral will be held Friday, February 27, from Scanlon Funeral Service, 38 East Main Street, with a Mass at noon at Saint Louis Church, 14 Lake Street. Burial will be private. Calling hours will take place from 9:30 to 11:30 AM at the funeral home prior to the Mass. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made to a charity of one’s choice in Chris’s memory.