Catherine ""Cathy"" J. Johnston

Catherine ""Cathy"" Josephine Rees Johnston died comfortably in her bed at 1:30pm on Friday, December 19, 2014 in Littleton, Colorado. She was surrounded by her family and wonderful caregivers. Cathy was 67 years old. She was a loving wife, sister, mother of 3, grandmother of 6, aunt and friend to many. She had the heart of a saint and the mind of a scholar. Teaching in the Catholic school system in Denver, Colorado, she focused her miracles on the minds of second through fourth grade students. Her Masters Degree in Special Education made her even more capable to help all students. There has never been a book she wouldn't read or a beach she wouldn't walk on. Travel comes as easy to her as being in her own home, she is fearless. Martha Stewart has nothing on Cathy's ability to bake, cook and entertain the masses. If there was not a reason to have a party, Cathy would find one--and it usually required a costume. Sunday is her day for worship and 7 am mass was usually followed by Einstein's coffee, no sugar and a splash of milk and a toasted everything bagel with plain cream cheese. Her husband of 45 years (married in 1969) has been her constant companion and adventure seeker. Their families lived next door to each other in Strongsville, Ohio and they set eyes on one another at the young age of 12. Fate and a landscaping shrub would bring not only them together but a long line of Johnston/Rees relatives. She is survived in life by her: Husband: Jim Johnston, Children: Jim Jr. (Shelby), Brett (Lisa), Kate, Grandchildren: Alec, Lauren, Samantha, Mikaela, Luke and Brooke, Siblings: Bob Rees, Barbara (Ervin) Lamb, Dianne (Jerry) Johnston, Mike Rees, Dan (Theresa) Rees, Phil (Jackie) Rees. Her many nieces and nephews will forever be reflections of her kindness and love. She is preceded in death by her Mother and Father, Carolyn May (Dabney) Rees and Robert Joseph Rees. A Memorial Mass will be held at Mother of God Catholic Church, 475 Logan Street, Denver, CO 80203 at 2:00pm, Tuesday, December 23 with a reception to follow at the Denver Country Club, 1700 East 1st Avenue, Denver, CO 80218. On Monday December 29th, 2014 at 11:30am, there will be a service for the interment of Cathy's ashes at Fort Logan National Cemetery, Shelter Area B, 3698 South Sheridan Boulevard, Denver, CO 80235. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Mary Catholic School Littleton, Special Education Fund, 6833 South Prince Street, Littleton, CO 80120 Please share memories and condolences in the guestbook below. Letter from Karen Durica, longtime best friend of Cathy Johnston: I met Cathy 53 years ago on our first day of high school. We immediately became friends and have shared so much of our lives together that it is hard for me to separate my life from her own. I could not love her more if she were a sister of my own blood. There are many reasons I have loved Cathy all these years. Cathy was very intelligent and used her gift to pursue a career in teaching, especially working with special education students. She was a dedicated teacher and cared personally for each of her charges.She never stopped learning; she attended annual literacy conferences to increase her skills and assure that her students received the best. After she retired, she joined a book club so she could continue discussing ideas. She was so bright! Cathy was quite funny. She had a wonderful sense of humor and found joy in life's simple events. She shared that joy with everyone and brought so many smiles and so much laughter to our many gatherings. Cathy lived with my family her last two years of college, and the delight she added to our household was a true gift! Cathy was a woman of faith. Her trust in God was unwavering, and was often such an example to me when I struggled. Her simple ""say a prayer"" helped me more times than she could ever know. She is the godmother to one of my sons and the confirmation sponsor to my daughter. She was, and will remain, an example of faith to us all. Cathy was truly a sweet person, but not a push-over, especially when it came to standing up for something in which she believed. I always admired both her kindness and her courage. Cathy was dedicated to her family - both her family of origin: her parents, her brothers and sisters, her nephews and nieces, and most of all to her own family: her husband, her 3 children, and her six grandchildren. We so often swapped husband stories (some funny, some not so funny), children stories (some sweet, some not so sweet), and grandchildren stories (always perfectly wonderful!). Her family was her life. I think that above all is what I would say about Cathy - her family was her life. And Cathy was the best friend a friend could ever have. She was always kind to me, always forgiving of me, always generous to me, and always there for me. Truly in her passing, a part of me is gone. Cathy loved so many people and was loved by so many. Our lives have been blessed because she was a part of them. Karen Durica