Although Hazel Pomiecko traveled the world, she once remarked that if she ever stopped residing in Claremont, she would be “déraciné,” French for “unrooted.’’

 Her roots grew very deep in her hometown.  She was born in Claremont in 1925, and was a vital and integral part of the community for nearly all of her 85 years.

 Mrs. Pomiecko died March 10 at her daughter’s home in Natick, Mass. She had been diagnosed with cancer in January.

 Hazel attended elementary school and high school in Claremont, graduating from St. Mary High in 1942.

 She married Victor Pomiecko of Claremont in 1948, and although they divorced in 1984, they remained in close communication until his death in 1996, often traveling together to their daughter’s home to visit their beloved twin granddaughters.

 Mrs. Pomiecko suspended her college career for marriage and children, but later returned to complete her degree; she graduated from Keene State College in 1972.

 She taught English and humanities at Stevens High School for 12 years.  Long after she retired, former students would excitedly hail “Mrs. Pomiecko!” when they saw her in town, and tell her how much her classes meant to them.  She continued teaching adults and GED courses after her retirement, delighting in nourishing untapped potential in her GED students.

  During her tenure as a high school teacher, she often took students on trips to Europe, spending months preparing slide shows and informational packets highlighting historical or cultural features of their destination.  After retirement, she led European trips for adults. 

 England was her favorite country, and she visited Great Britain on more than 20 occasions, each time discovering new enthusiasms and taking in the latest plays in London.

 She continued learning and teaching throughout her life, participating in and leading courses at the ILEAD (Institute for Lifelong Learning at Dartmouth) program, and reveling in discussion at “Adventures in Learning” at Colby-Sawyer College.

 Hazel had many passions and creative outlets, including knitting, rug making, Nantucket basket making, crossword puzzles, and quilting, but her greatest delight was reading, with Dante at the top of her list.

 Even after cancer weakened her and limited her physical activities during the last months of her life, she continued to read avidly, her appetite whetted by books mailed from her treasured and oft-frequented local library. She eagerly awaited the delivery of the “New Yorker” each week.

She played tennis into her early 80s; she was an enthusiastic and competitive tennis player, often organizing local tournaments followed by potluck dinners. Until recently, she walked the track at Monadnock Park to keep fit, and was pleased to estimate that one of Dante’s cantos on her Walkman equated to approximately a mile.

 Entertaining her many friends with new recipes and wide-ranging conversation was a constant in her life.  She presided over innumerable lunches and dinners, and made generations of children and husbands happy with take-home gifts of her cookies.

 Hazel was an outspoken liberal, and former president of the Claremont League of Women Voters.  She readily expressed strong and articulate opinions on topics ranging from presidential politics to health care to the economy.  She was also a fervent environmentalist, and often rode her three-speed bicycle to the grocery store to save gas.

 The cards, letters, and phone calls she received following news of her illness are a testament to the great affection and admiration felt for her by many whose lives she touched.

 One letter simply read: “You are well missed by all your friends in Claremont, and if all the good wishes could restore your health, you would be home tomorrow.”

 She was predeceased by her son, Chris, and her parents, George and Lorena (Simoneau) Fortin.  Survivors include her brother Donald R. Fortin of Naples, Fla., her sister-in-law Joan, her daughter Catherine, son-in-law George Martins, her granddaughters Sophia and Natalya Martins, and several nieces and nephews.

 Friends may call at the Stringer Funeral Home, 146 Broad St. in Claremont, Friday evening March 18^th from 6 to 9 pm.

 A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday March 19th at 11:30 AM in St. Mary Church with Rev. Fr. Shawn M. Therrien, Pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in St. Mary Cemetery, Claremont.

 In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a number of organizations that reflect the richness of her life: the
Claremont Opera House, the Connecticut River Valley Orchestra, the Chris Pomiecko Memorial Award at MIT, the Fiske Free Library, and the Parmenter Wayside Hospice of Wayland, Mass.