HOLLIS – Claudette Carter, a former administrative assistant who had a passion for gardening and for life, died Sunday. She was 59.

Mrs. Carter worked in advanced development for Fiber Materials Inc. in Biddeford for the past seven years. She was remembered by her colleagues Tuesday as a hardworking and loyal employee.

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Claudette Carter of Hollis, who died Sunday at age 59, had a passion for gardening and crafts. Family photo

“Claudette always brought a positive attitude to the task at hand and a willingness to do whatever it took to get the job done,” said Mark Lippold, advanced development manager. “Her contributions, spirit and smile will be missed by both our employees and our customers.”

Many employees learned Tuesday that Mrs. Carter had died. She was diagnosed with liver cancer in January.

Gail Greenwood, an administrative assistant, said Mrs. Carter visited her co-workers more than a month ago and had hoped to be back at work soon.

“She really impressed me because she was very positive, even knowing what her odds were,” Greenwood said. “People here are very saddened by her loss. We all hoped that she would pull through.”

Mrs. Carter grew up in Biddeford and graduated from St. Louis High School in 1970, the last class to graduate from St. Louis.

She was divorced in 2000, then returned to school and received her associate degree in computer applications technology from York County Technical College.

Mrs. Carter was remembered by her family Tuesday as a loving and affectionate woman who embraced new challenges.

She had a passion for gardening and an extensive knowledge of flowers. She also enjoyed crafts, such as working with dried and silk flowers, being with her golden retriever, Cider, and learning about dog obedience.

“I would describe her as a lifelong learner,” said Jennifer Goddard, the older of her two children. “She would immerse herself in whatever she wanted to learn and devour all the information she could get about the subject.”

Mrs. Carter enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and had a close relationship with her cousins, Ann Marie and Claire Brunnell. Goddard said her mother enjoyed spending time at their lakefront home this past summer.

Goddard said her mother had an aggressive tumor that she just could not overcome. She said her mother’s diagnosis restored her faith in God and brought her closer to her family.

“I think she appreciated her family even more than she did before,” her daughter said. “She really made sure to thank people and tell them how important they are.”

Staff Writer Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at: mcreamer@pressherald.com

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