Sanbornville, NH

Claire Helen Czepyha Sr, age 91, passed away peacefully October 20, 2019 due to complications with a stroke. She was born a valentine baby, February 14, 1928 in New Brunswick, NJ to August and Pauline Kronemeyer.   She worked at Squibbs in New Brunswick while her high school sweetheart attended Lehigh University.  Upon his graduation and commission as a 2LT in the Air Force, Claire married Chester George Reinhold Czepyha on September 9, 1950.

Claire was a loving wife and mother of 5 children, and devoted her life to support her husband throughout his 30-year military career.  Chester's assignments moved them throughout Florida, Oklahoma, Massachusetts and the Philippines.

After Chester's retirement from the Air Force in 1975, they lived in Merrimack NH until they decided to try something different and both volunteered at age 56 in the Peace Corps in 1984.  They were assigned to Belize to help establish the Boy Scout program, write the Belizean Boy Scout Handbook, and Claire was specifically assigned to the SME fund raising program where she interfaced with US companies asking for donations for the Belizean boy scout program.  They also helped establish Camp Oakley National Scout Campground, in Burrell Boom Belize, similar to Boy Scout camps in the United States.

Upon their completion of their assignment in the Peace Corps in 1986, they set down roots in property they bought in Sanbornville, NH in 1966 when Chester was assigned to Hanscom AFB Massachusetts.

Claire is survived by her loving and devoted husband Chester, and their 5 children:

• Chester Czepyha Jr and his wife Maureen of Sanbornville and their two children Daniel Czepyha and his daughter Isabella (Elizabeth) and their daughter Rachel Cyr and her husband Josh;
• Claire Graham of Merrimack NH and her two children Jim and his wife Sarah, and Jason and his wife Ashley, and their two children Ryleigh and Parker;
• Cynthia McGrath and her husband Tom of Burke, VA and their 4 children Will Walsh and his wife Sarah and their two children Carter and Theron, Abbey Bingaman and her husband Adam and their child Wyatt, Jonathan and his two children Elijah and Micah, and son David.
• Craig Czepyha of Sanbornville and his son Roman.
• Christopher Czepyha and his wife Rachael of Warwick, RI and their two children Helen and Marsha-Rose;

In all, Claire is survived by her husband of 69 years Chester, 5 children, 11 grandchildren,  8 great grandchildren and their cats Oliver and Katrina.

At Claire's request, she will be cremated.  There will be a private celebration of life with family at their home with a tree planting to commemorate a life well lived.

W ith the passing of Claire Helen Czepyha on October 20, 2019, our family has not lost a wife, mother, and friend, but gained a powerful guardian angel.

In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be given in honor of Claire Czepyha to the Wounded Warrior Program:

https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=11585&ovr_acv_id=6794&campaignSource=ONLINE&source=BS19003&msclkid=f0a8cace0eaf1ec878ab97606e6ae145&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SEM~WWP~BR~US~All~WWP_Main&utm_term=wounded%20warrior%20project&utm_content=Wounded_Warrior_Project_Exact&gclid=CKPMnJ_hruUCFYybswodpBIDVg&gclsrc=ds