Claire Esmond died suddenly and tragically. If we had the chance to tell her one last time how much we love her and how proud we are, this is what we would say:

Claire, it wasn't supposed to go this way. We never thought we would be without you on this earth. Your confidence, sense of humor, and light heart attracted friends and brightened every space you occupied. Your love and kindness transformed the lives of everyone you encountered. You were always forgiving and chose to see the best in people. You set an example that we, and everyone else you touched, will strive to live up to.

You were an academic weapon. You hated when we bragged about your achievements, so we tried not to, but it was hard - you were brilliant. We're sad for all the milestones you will miss - senior year, graduation, college, marriage, and having a family of your own. You would have been great at whatever you decided to do in life. We're grateful for the milestones we were able to celebrate with you.

You were a spiritual gangster. We are inspired by the way you sought out and built a relationship with God on your own. You discovered and grew your faith at New Life Ranch, built great friendships, and developed your ability to lead and minister to others. At home, you created your own community of family and friends at Battle Creek - they absolutely love you. They have been a tremendous source of comfort and support. Several of your friends have shared stories about your influence in their spiritual lives. We're so proud of the positive impact you had. We have started a scholarship fund in your name at New Life Ranch so others can have the same experience.

You were a wonderful friend, student, and teammate. Holland Hall is crushed. We're so happy you went to school where you could be challenged, supported, and had the freedom to be one hundred percent yourself. We were always amazed at the number of extracurricular activities you managed to cram into your life - field hockey, lacrosse, student council, FCA, tennis team, National Charity League, tutoring, and more we probably didn't even know about. Your teachers, coaches, advisors, and friends adored you and miss you. Many of them have shared jokes you told and stories about your goofy antics that made people laugh - that was a special gift.

You loved to travel and have new adventures. Vacations in Seaside, San Antonio, and Las Vegas were so much fun. Trips to New York to see shows on Broadway, shop, and visit museums are great memories. Summer vacations were always a blast - you were always eager to soak in new and exciting experiences. Christmas was a special time. Escape rooms with Grammy, Poppi and Leann before Christmas Eve Mass was such a fun tradition. Traveling to DC to celebrate Christmas with Toot and Dude, Aunt Amy, Uncle Dan, and Will and Kate was always special and won't be the same without you.

You were a great big sister. The times you and Harper laughed, joked, went to Starbucks, and enjoyed being together far exceeded the times involved in trivial sibling arguments (although there were some of those). She'll miss riding to school with you, sharing inside jokes, and having your help picking the right outfit or hairstyle for big events. We're grateful to all your friends who have promised to be there for Harper. We know she's going to have her own amazing experiences and achieve great things, but she'll always miss you.

We were so blessed to have you for the short time we did. While there is nothing we wouldn't give for another day with you here, we know we'll have to wait to be reunited. Until then, we will keep your memory in our hearts and will do our best to honor your beautiful soul every day.

We love you so much,
Mom & Dad


Memorial Services will be Saturday, March 1, 2025, at BattleCreek Church - Midtown, 3817 S Lewis Ave, at 1:00 p.m.

Instead of flowers, the family would appreciate you making a memorial donation to honor Claire's life, to: New Life Ranch.




Fitzgerald Ivy Chapel, 918-585-1151