Claire Muldowney Nauen

Claire Muldowney Nauen, formerly of Hyannis Park in West Yarmouth, MA, passed away on June 7, 2020 in Newark, DE of Covid-19 related complications.

A Cape Cod native born on August 4, 1937, she was the daughter of the late James and Stella Muldowney. She was preceded in death by her husband, C. Ernest “Ernie” Nauen, and her sister, Ruth Ann Muldowney. She is survived by her brother and his wife, Leo and Marina Muldowney, her children and spouses:  James and Kimberly Nauen of Newton, MA, Michael and Pamela Nauen of Philadelphia, PA, and Jennifer Nauen and Paul Johnston of Newark, DE. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Alison and Emily Nauen, Ryan Johnston, Anna and Samantha Nauen, as well as an extended family of nieces and nephews.

Claire grew up on the Cape with a love for the outdoors and dogs. A graduate of Yarmouth High School in 1955, she attended nursing school at Mass General in Boston, MA, and graduated with a nursing degree in 1958. After graduating she moved to New York City, where she worked as the head nurse in the pediatric care unit at New York City Hospital. An avid theatre and concert goer, she spent the next seven years building great friendships and dating her future husband, Ernie. They were married in Greenwich, CT in 1965, and continued to live in New York City after the birth of their first child, James, and moved to Staten Island, NY in 1968 after the birth of the twins Michael and Jennifer. She spent the next 9 years raising the children, splitting their time between Staten Island, NY and Westhampton, NY in the summers.

In 1977 they moved to Darien, CT, when the love of her life Ernie died unexpectedly in December of that year. Undaunted, she went back and received her BA from Pace University at night, and spent the next 13 years working in a variety of administration positions and raising her children. Once they all graduated from college, in 1989 she returned to the Cape, residing in Cotuit, MA working for Elder Services of Cape Cod, and then eventually moving back to Hyannis Park in West Yarmouth.

Devoted to her children, she loved her dogs, of which she had 9 over the years. She loved the Cape and her friends there, and was able to live on Cape Cod independently for 30 years until the summer of 2019, where at the age of 83 she relocated to an independent living facility in Newark, DE to be close to her daughter Jennifer, who faithfully cared for her until her passing. She was rejoined with her husband Ernie in a private family burial service in Darien, CT. A memorial service will be held on Cape Cod once it is possible to do so. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the National Aphasia Association here:  https://www.aphasia.org/donate/.