GROTON LONG POINT: Mary Claire Tellier, 101, died on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Mary was born in Norwich to the late Harry McKinnley Richmond who was a Navy vet who served in World War I, and Mary (Mae) Morrison Richmond on May 29, 1924. She was born just before the Great Depression. Hard times struck her family with the death of her father. She was six years old at the time. Her mother had to work to support herself and her young daughter. She was raised by her grandmother and great aunt who moved in with Claire's mother to help raise Mary. She attended elementary school at St. Patrick's in Norwich, going on to NFA to attend High School. After finishing school, she went to work for Southern New England Telephone Company until she married and had a son, Robert. In 1951 she married Andrew Tellier, a marriage that lasted 75 years.
During these years she busied herself by joining art groups and becoming quite good at it. Her other hobby at which she also became very proficient was rug hooking. She spent many hours hooking which resulted in many hooked rugs and landscape pictures. With all the effort she put in to these hobbies, she always mentioned the lasting friendships made.
Mary, Andrew and Bob traveled during school summer vacations taking two trips to Europe and a trip around our great country.
Mary is survived by her husband, her son and wife, 2 grandchildren and two great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, March 13, at 10:30am at St. Mary Mother of the Redeemer Church, 69 Groton Long Point Road, Groton. Burial will follow in St. Joseph's Cemetery, 815 Boswell Avenue, Norwich.