Claudine A. Veistroffer

Claudine A. (Boulais) Veistroffer, 85, of Florence, passed away on Tuesday June 9, 2026, at her home she shared with her husband. She was born on September 24, 1940, in Montataire in Normandy, a region of France. She was the daughter of the late Andre and Anne (Lecomte) Boulais. Because her father was held as a prisoner of war until the war ended, Claudine did not meet him until she was five years old. Claudine spent her childhood in Beauvais, in the Oise department of France, about 60 kilometers north of Paris. She remained there until age 17, when she traveled to London to visit her aunt. During her flight, she met Tony Davaz, an Air Force officer of English, Turkish, and American background. She married Tony and moved with him to Long Island, New York. Together, Claudine and Tony had three children: a daughter, Barbara, who was born in France; a son, Steven; and their youngest son, Chris. After some years, Claudine divorced and moved with her children to Worcester, where she later married Jacques Fafard. She remained with him until her children were in their late teens. Claudine later moved to Framingham, where she studied to earn her esthetician license. She worked in a department store before eventually opening her own successful skin care business in Marlboro. It was there that Claudine met Patrick, just before September 11, 2001. After only six weeks, they married and went on to share 25 years of life together. Before meeting Patrick, Claudine had spent 18 years on her own, unwilling to compromise on the life and love she wanted. Claudine’s health had been declining since last year, when we learned that she had suffered a stroke and that her heart was functioning at only 20 percent capacity. In February, she was also diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of bone cancer that required chemotherapy. Over the past three months, she spent nearly half of her time in the hospital. When her doctors confirmed that her condition was incurable, the focus shifted to her peace and comfort. Claudine returned home under hospice care and passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning, June 9. Everyone who met Claudine knows what kind, loving, compassionate, generous and spiritual being she was. Her incredible qualities would fill an entire book, as I never met anyone like her and I don’t think there is one person in the hundreds she met that didn't like her. Like Claudine herself, this is unique and almost unheard of. What many people don’t know about Claudine is that she was a self-taught person: she studied human consciousness spiritually for 50 years, went to many workshops, retreats, read hundreds of books and that explains why she was so good at listening and showing compassion to everyone! I feel incredibly fortunate to have shared 25 years with Claudine, living and working side by side from the very beginning. Because we spent our days and nights together, those years felt as full as a lifetime—perhaps the equivalent of 50 years for couples who only see one another in the evenings and on weekends. Many people don’t realize that Claudine was not only the co-founder of Cloa’s Ark Animal Sanctuary but the instigator of it. Although she certainly was responsible for contributing to naming the sanctuary, since “Clo” was her nickname when she was young, these three important facts point to my dear wife as the foundation of our work together: 1. Her family provided “Mickey”, the first cockatiel we rescued. Mickey loved me immediately but not so much Claudine; so, we got Chouquette as a baby cockatiel for Claudine and he is still alive symbolizing the length of our relationship, 25 years! 2. Claudine is the one who decided to go for a walk to a farm school in Marlboro where we volunteered and got hired to take care of animals for two years. 3. Claudine is the one who supplied the courage for both of us to leave our volunteer positions and begin our own mission together of rescuing animals in need of love and care. Claudine helped me believe in myself, know myself more deeply, and become the person I am today. Without her, I would surely be less than I am, and together we could never have rescued the thousands of animals we cared for during our 25 years together. She is survived by her husband Patrick, her children, Barbara Davaz, Steven Davaz, and Chris Davaz, grandchildren, Matthew Lacovone, Chris Davaz, Suzanne Coskun, and great grandchildren, Cole Lacovone, Deven Davaz, Zoe Davaz. There will be a Celebration of Life on Sunday June 28th, 2026, at 12PM, if you wish to attend, please contact Patrick at PVeistroffer@gmail.com. DROZDAL FUNERAL HOME OF NORTHAMPTON HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH HER CARE. For more information, to read the full obituary, or to leave the family a personal condolence, please visit Drozdalfuneralhome.com.

Claudine A. Veistroffer

September 24, 1940 - June 9, 2026