Clare Swift Nurre
January 27, 1948 – July 4, 2025
Clare Swift Nurre, 77, of Blaine, WA, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 4, 2025, after a long battle with cancer.
Clare was born on January 27, 1948, in Atlantic City, NJ to Joseph M. Nurre, Jr. and Genevieve Swift Nurre and is survived by sister Gabrielle Swift Nurre of Albuquerque, NM; brother Joseph M. Nurre III and wife Eileen of Upland, CA; cousin John Joseph Nurre of Sacramento, CA; and numerous other cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Clare graduated from Alverno Heights Academy in Sierra Madre, CA in 1965 and from California State College in Los Angeles in 1969. While living in Southern California, she worked for the Monrovia Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Department of Social Services.
After moving to Blaine, Clare found her calling and worked for USPS as a clerk at the Blaine post office, helping the many customers from her community and from across the border get their mail and packages to the correct destinations. Following retirement from the post office, Clare began doing volunteer work for her community, supporting many non-profit groups, including three local groups - the Blaine Food Bank, Friends of the Blaine Library (FOBL), and The Alternative Humane Society of Whatcom County (AHS). She also volunteered for many years at the Blaine Visitor Center, providing area information to both the citizens of the community as well as the tourists visiting Blaine. Her local stories and sense of humor in telling them were heard by many over the years.
Clare served on the FOBL Board of Directors for over 20 years and was the original organizer and chairperson of the Friends semi-annual book sales and the in-house bookstore. She loved books and reading and was always helping others find that same love. Health issues forced her to give up some of her duties, but she never stopped supporting the Friends and their activities. If there was a job to be done, Clare was right there pitching in any way she could. Her dedication and hard work were inspirational.
Clare’s love of books was matched only by her love of animals, especially dogs and cats. She worked tirelessly on her own and through the Alternative Humane Society to find homes for displaced dogs, and she fostered many of them as she worked to find forever homes for each one. She never knew a stranger – within minutes of meeting someone, she was engaged in trying to get them to foster an animal or donate to the cause.
A gathering of Clare’s friends to celebrate her life, toast her achievements, and share Clare stories will be held at a later date. Donations in her memory can be made to the Friends of the Blaine Library, Alternative Humane Society, or Blaine Food Bank.
