Claire Machado

Claire (LaRue) Machado, 94, of Fall River, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at Charlton Memorial Hospital. She was the wife of the late John Machado, Jr. 

Claire began her professional life at the Fowler School, where she started as a lunch lady and then became a teacher's aide working with children with disabilities. She loved seeing her students succeed. 

She was an avid reader who enjoyed word search puzzles, Bingo, Judge Judy, and the ION channel. Her biggest joy was spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren at softball games, baseball games, theatre, band performances, as well as all the great family holiday celebrations and traditions (especially the Annual Father’s Day Clam Boil). Claire was the mother of Greg Machado (wife Mary Beth Mello), Jay Machado (wife Rosalind), Linda Shepardson (husband Steven), Michelle Schmidt (husband Dave), and the late Glenn Machado and Steven Machado; the grandmother of Lianne Costa (husband Rich), Lauren Berry (husband Greg), Meaghan DeMello (husband Paul), Matthew Shepardson, and Kathryn McMahon (husband Steve); the great-grandmother of Abby DeMello, Ava Shepardson, Henry & Charlie Berry, Sydney Costa, Kinley & Keegan McMahon.

She was the daughter of the late Raymond and Laura (Duval) LaRue and was predeceased by her siblings Lauretta Levasseur, Raymond LaRue, Roland LaRue, Ernest LaRue, and Yvette Paradis. 

Friends and family are invited to honor Claire's life at Auclair Funeral Home, located at 690 South Main Street, Fall River, MA, where visitation will be held on Sunday, November 2, 2025, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, followed by a funeral service in the funeral home at 1:00 PM.

Flowers are appreciated, and donations may be made to Forever Paws Animal Shelter, 300 Lynwood St, Fall River, MA 02721, in memory of Claire's faithful friend, Boo.