Obituary: John Claussen, Executive Chef at The Wellesley Inn

Obituary from Britton Funeral Homes: 

John Robert Claussen, 49, died Nov. 10, 2013 at Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick following a prolonged illness. 

John was born in Phoenix, Ariz. June 5, 1964 and lived in the Midwest until moving to Sudbury in 1977. He graduated from Wayland High School on his birthday in 1983 and lived in the Metro West area most of his life.

John graduated from the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont in 1985. At the age of 24, John became the executive chef at the celebrated Harvest Restaurant in Harvard Square. John was honored with the Rising Star award from the James Beard Foundation and by the support of Julia Child. John was also the executive chef at The Small Planet, The Wellesley Inn, The Doubletree and Cross Point Towers. John’s creativity was expressed in many forms from music to art to his love of nature, which he passed on to his children.

He married Lisa Marie Ameden June 13, 1992. 

In addition to his wife, John is survived by his two sons, Zachary Ameden Claussen and Miles Leonard Claussen; his father Robert Claussen (father) and his wife Norma Claussen of Naples, Fla; his mother Carol Holly and her husband Gordon MacPhail of Holliston; his oldest brother, Chris Claussen and his wife Kim, and their two sons, Justin and Michael; and his brother Matt Claussen and his two children, Charles and Nicole. 

Visitation will be from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15 at Britton- Shrewsbury Funeral Home, 648 Main St., Shrewsbury. A service will be held at Britton at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 16.