Boscawen, NH – Tamara Lee Skye Chiarella, 68, passed away on February 20, 2026, in Boscawen, New Hampshire.
She was born on March 27th, 1957, in Cornwall, New York. Her family home was in Fort Montgomery, New York, nestled between Bear Mountain State Park and the US Military Academy at West Point. Tamara graduated from James I. O’Neill High School in Highland Falls, New York, where she was a member of the Spanish club, tennis and ski teams.
In her youth, Tamara spent summers at the family cabin on Birch Point in Sunapee, New Hampshire, swimming, sailing, waterskiing, and playing tennis at the Lake Sunapee Yacht Club. Winter vacations were spent ice skating on the lake and skiing at Mount Sunapee.
Remaining in New Hampshire after high school, Tamara was among the pioneering women in the early days of co-education at Dartmouth College, graduating in the class of 1979. She went on to earn master’s degrees in teaching from the University of New Hampshire in 1982 and in linguistics from Georgetown University in 1988.
Tamara taught languages at the high school level for many years. She devoted her life to education and the students she so deeply cared for. A dedicated teacher, she invested countless hours guiding, mentoring, and encouraging young minds, leaving a lasting impression on generations of students. Her classroom was not just a place of learning, but one of compassion, patience, and belief in others.
Beyond her work in education, Tamara was a gifted musician. She played piano, guitar, and many other instruments. Music was another language she spoke fluently, one that allowed her to express creativity, depth, and emotion.
Tamara was accepting of all people; always ready to engage in thoughtful conversation. She had a natural curiosity about others and a genuine interest in their stories, making those around her feel heard and valued.
Tamara was predeceased by her parents, Joseph John Chiarella and Dona Mae Chiarella of Sunapee, New Hampshire. She is survived by her step-daughter, Samantha Nelson, and her husband, Tyler Nelson; step-daughter, Holly Armitage; as well as step-grandchildren; her brother, Michael Chiarella, and his wife, Susan, of Springfield, New Hampshire; her sister, Taryn Chiarella, and Taryn’s husband, Robert Anthonyson, of New London, New Hampshire; her younger brother, John Chiarella, and his wife, Maureen, of Springfield, New Hampshire; a niece, Sonya Kovler, the daughter of John and Maureen; and a step-nephew, Michael Hannon, the step-son of Michael Chiarella.
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