Lund, Clare

Clare (Roach) Lund, of Foxborough and North Falmouth, passed away unexpectedly but peacefully in her sleep on January 21, 2026, at her home in North Falmouth. She was the daughter of the late John Roach and Clare (Harrington) Roach Burgun and step-daughter of the late James Burgun, all of Canton.

Born May 18, 1944, in Natick, Clare was raised in Canton. She attended St. John’s School and graduated from Canton High School. There, she was voted “Most Popular,” played field hockey, captained the cheerleading squad, and was president of the student council — early signs of the leadership, charisma, and athleticism that characterized her life. Clare received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Bridgewater State University.

It was at Canton High that Clare met the love of her life, Phil Lund. Happily married and inseparable for 62 years, they had two children, Audrey Spillane of Foxborough, and Philip “Eric” Lund, of Foxborough and Bolton.

Teaching English at Foxborough High School for 32 years, “Mrs. Lund” cheered students through classics like Great Expectations and Romeo & Juliet, grammar and vocabulary lessons, and the annual term paper. She cared deeply for all her students but had a special place in her heart for the underdogs. It wasn’t surprising that after retiring, Clare returned to FHS for several years as a part-time tutor.

As much as she loved teaching, Clare never lost the joy of a snow day and the thrill of storms in general. But after days cooped up following one of her favorites — the Blizzard of ’78 — Clare strapped on her Keds and started jogging, from telephone pole to telephone pole at first. She joined the Sharon Road Runners and soon became one of the top female road-racers in the Greater Boston area, earning countless medals and making lifelong friends. Clare ran eight marathons, including five Boston Marathons. She and Phil ran the 100th Boston Marathon together, holding hands as they crossed the finish line. The Falmouth Road Race, which she ran 30 times, was always a summer highlight.

Clare and Phil enjoyed an active retirement by the sea in North Falmouth. Clare woke each morning with a plan for the day, usually organized around high tide, when she would spend an hour swimming laps between jetties. Low tides meant incessant reading (a Shakespeare play each week in her last months), NY Times games and crossword puzzles, and valiant attempts to learn French. At least once a day, she pulled Phil outside for a long walk, often in preparation for an upcoming trip involving treks to hilltop villages in Europe. Travel was one of Clare’s greatest loves, encompassing her passions for history, culture, literature, the outdoors, new learning opportunities for herself and family, and bargain-hunting. The planning itself was a pastime, yielding National Geographic-quality trips throughout the U.S. and Europe — all on a shoestring budget.

Lionhearted but gentle, Clare will be remembered for her many quiet acts of kindness, generosity, loyalty, and friendship. Above all, she was a beloved and loving wife, mother, and grandmother — the inspiration and guiding light for her family. Always beside Phil, she was a fixture in her children’s and grandchildren’s lives. Whether it was a basketball, baseball, or lacrosse game, a tennis match, play, or band concert, they were there. A testament to her warmth, Clare was “Nana,” not only to her grandchildren but also to their friends.

In addition to her husband, children, and son-in-law Sean Spillane, Clare was the adoring grandmother of Mary and Garrett Spillane of Foxborough and Philip “John” Lund of Bolton. She was the loving sister of Therese Johnson and her husband, David, of Topsham, ME, and Audry Busa of Canton. She was predeceased by her brother John Roach. She is also survived by sister-in-law Cheryl Hughes of Fort Myers, FL, brother-in-law Scott Lund and his wife, Claire, of Norwell, former daughter-in-law Katrina Lund of Bolton, and many nieces and nephews.

Services were private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Clare’s memory may be made to the Buzzards Bay Coalition (savebuzzardsbay.org/take-action/donate), where she and Phil volunteered for years as citizen scientists, or to The 300 Committee Land Trust (300committee.org/donate). For online guestbook and condolences, please visit chapmanfuneral.com.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Jan 29 2026. Filed under Obituaries. Both comments and pings are currently closed.