LEWISTON – Florence “Flo” A. LeClair, 82, of Lewiston, passed away surrounded by friends and family at Central Maine Medical Center on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, after a courageous and relentless battle against an illness to which she succumbed.

Flo was a lifelong resident of Lewiston and truly loved her community. She was known by many as the lady who loved her Christmas decorations so much, they went up months before Christmas and stayed up until spring. In fact, some never came down at all.

However, Flo is best known for her passion for horses. There are too many stories to share of her time spent with family and friends at horse shows, where she was well known not to just for her horseman skills, but just as much for her fiery attitude. Through her horse show and racing career, Flo served in the following roles: she was the first woman to be licensed- and serve- as a paddock judge at the Lewiston raceway; director of the Maine Horse Association; director, president, organizer, and horseshow management for the Maine Saddlebred Association; board member on the Downeast Horse Congress; owned, trained, and showed horses well into her 60’s; judged many horse shows at fairs throughout the state.

Flo had a deep love and compassion for all animals, having rescued many cats and kittens throughout the years. Most recently she was working to rehabilitate four cats. She would also spend hours gardening and looking at the birds through one of her many pairs of binoculars.

Within the last 12 years, Flo was an integral part of The Birches camping community. These years brought her great joy, and we know how thankful she was to have each and every camper as a part of her life. These individuals were known as her camping family and she firmly adhered to the motto “what happens at camp, stays at camp”.

She is survived by her brother, Leo LeClair; nephew Steven LeClair and wife Choanna LeClair, niece Nicole Ray and husband Roland Ray, and niece Amy Tardy and husband Claude Tardy; as well as several great nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents Donald LeClair and Jeanne LeClair; and brother Roger LeClair.

In addition to her biological family, Flo had many friends who considered family. These include Jeannette Nolin and her daughter Julie, Joe Palleschi, Gregory Hall, Diane Laddy and Nora Waterman.

A Funeral Mass honoring Florence’s life will be celebrated on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Holy Family Church. Committal Services will then follow at St. Peter’s Cemetery.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 from 4 – 7 p.m. at The Fortin & Pinette Group 217 Turner Street in Auburn, 783-8545. To share memories and condolences with the LeClair Family, please visit http://www.fortinpinettegroupauburn.com .

In lieu of flowers,

the family requests donations to be made in Florence’s memory to:

the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society

55 Strawberry Ave.

Lewiston, ME 04240