Clare Skeins Bordelon
Published 12:01 am Sunday, June 19, 2022
Clare Skeins Bordelon passed away on May 14, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn., at the age of 95.
Clare was born to John Leo Skeins and Clare Kelly Skeins in October 1926 in New Orleans, La. She received her RN diploma from Hotel Dieu Hospital in New Orleans, and then attended LSU Health Science Center where she was a member of Phi Mu sorority. She worked at Charity Hospital in New Orleans in the Premature Baby Unit long before intensive care units for babies existed.
While working at Charity Hospital, she met and married the love of her life, Irving Bordelon. They later moved to Lake Charles, La., where Clare worked as a nurse in her husband’s Dermatology practice until his death in 1981. She continued to work as an RN until she was in her 70s.
Clare and her husband loved to travel, particularly to Mexico and many other countries in Central America. Clare loved animals! Three of her favorite animals were Galapagos giant tortoises, whales, and kangaroos. So instead of observing them in zoos or aquariums, she was fortunate enough to see them in the wild during her travels to the Galapagos, Alaska, and Australia. When she wasn’t traveling, she was considered the unofficial neighborhood animal rehabilitation center. It was not uncommon to find her with injured birds on the mend or tadpoles waiting to become frogs, preparing them for their release back to the wild.
Clare was active in her community. She was the president of the Calcasieu Parish Medical Society Auxiliary. And although she could never grow zinnias, she became president of the Oak Park Garden Club.
Clare was an avid reader and you could always find one or two books on her bedside table. She fervently supported education, believing that education is the only thing that can never be taken away from you.
She registered as a Republican in 1947, after turning 21, when there were only about 2000 registered Republicans in the entire state of Louisiana, because although she was not an economics major, she knew the free enterprise system works better than the socialism that is destroying the country today.
Clare was a breast cancer survivor for 33 years.
Clare is survived by her son, Mark Wayne Bordelon of Lake Charles; her daughter, Debra (Roger) Bonau of Nashville, Tenn.; her three granddaughters, Kelly Bonau (Matt Jones), Lauren (Sam) Vaughn and Amy Bonau, all of Nashville, Tenn.; and her sister-in-law, Mary Bordelon Blalock of Lafayette, La. She was preceded in death by her husband, Irving Bordelon; and her parents.
A private interment at Consolata Cemetery will be at a later date. We want to thank The Lodge at Natchez Trace and Alive Hospice, both in Nashville, for the care and compassion they showed her during her time there.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Clare’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.