Catherine O'Connor

Catherine (Cathy) Mary O'Connor lived a full, loving, kind and giving life, dedicated always to serving others before herself. Above all, Cathy was a dedicated mother, sister, aunt, godmother, parishioner and neighbor, and she left an indelible mark on the many people blessed to have her in their lives.  Extending beyond those in Cathy's daily life, President Ronald Reagan, American soldiers en route to Saigon during the Vietnam War, Pope John Paul II, and many elderly residents in and around her neighborhood were all touched in some way by the high level of attention, kindness and care that were hallmarks of her life.

Born in 1937 at the end of the Depression era in Phillipsburg, Kansas, she was the third of six children of the grandson of Irish immigrants and the daughter of an English blacksmith, Cathy’s rural upbringing gave her a fierce streak of independence, but also imbued her with her characteristic of selflessness and humility, and love of country.

In young adulthood, she signed on as a stewardess with Continental Airlines.  Based in Honolulu, Hawaii, she flew internationally, including on Air Force Military Airlift Command contracted commercial flights transporting, troops into and out of the Republic of Vietnam.  These were no ordinary airline flights.

When that adventure was complete, she settled down into motherhood, but her life of service was just the beginning.  A wonderful self-taught cook (with credit her to her mother, Doris), Cathy put her skills to use in the catering industry.  Over 40 years she served a veritable who’s who of Denver society and beyond.  Two of her most memorable clients were President Ronald Reagan, and Saint Pope John Paul II for whom she was a private attendant during World Youth Day in 1993.

Ever a caring neighbor, in her spare time Cathy assisted many of her elderly friends.  She could be counted on as a chauffeur to doctor’s appointments, a compassionate helping hand always willing to pick up groceries or prescriptions; she was even still helping with yard work as recently as this fall.

As much as any self-respecting Coloradoan, native or transplant, Cathy loved the Denver Broncos, the mountains, and a cold Coors beer, though not always in that order.  While her satisfaction with her football team may have wavered from time to time, never did her faith in God, her love and pride in her daughter, and her appreciation of the founding principles of this great country.  Cathy gave time and treasure in support of all these things and more, but St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Parish and Hillsdale College were two organizations particularly close to her heart.  Memorial donations may be made to Hillsdale College or Memorial donations may be made to STEP Denver, 2029 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205, https://stepdenver.org/ .

That life of service came to an end on December 12th, 2021 when Catherine lost a short battle with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. She met the challenge head on with a stoic face and a courageous fight as befitting her strong Irish heritage and devout Catholic faith, but the disease, sadly, overtook her very quickly.

Cathy leaves behind a devoted daughter and son-in-law, Kathleen and Rob Arnold, is survived by two sisters Jane Brady and Patricia Batt, and will be greatly missed by many nieces, nephews, godchildren, neighbors and friends from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic seaboard. She will be dearly missed by all and remembered forever by the countless lives that she so gently touched.

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine.

Et lux perpetua luceat ei.