Cathie Villamor

Catherine (Cathie) Ann Villamor passed away peacefully on May 5, 2026, in Littleton,Colorado, at the age of 86. In a fitting reflection of the life she lived, she was still doing things her way to the very end. On what would have been their 64th wedding anniversary, she reunited with her husband, Jim. She was a loving mother to her children Donna, Jimmy, and Stephen as well as many family pets.

Cathie grew up in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania—independent, ahead of her time, and unimpressed by rules that didn’t make sense (which, to her, was most of them). After she met her husband Jim, they built a life together and moved their family from Stratford, New Jersey, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before settling in Littleton, Colorado, in 1980.

Over her lifetime, Cathie stayed busy and creative in countless ways. She ran a neighborhood preschool, provided in-home daycare, volunteered at her children’s school, supported their extracurricular activities, took part in arts and crafts, operated a dog-sitting business, and worked in a variety of administrative roles. She continued working well into her eighties; like many things, retirement never impressed her.

Cathie was blunt, sharp, mischievous, and rarely wrong—at least in her own estimation. She didn’t sugarcoat, soften, or circle around a point; she made it clear and usually with a laugh. She loved a good time, a good party, and a good glass of wine—often all at once. Her “glass half full” philosophy was less about optimism and more about making sure it stayed topped up. She had a quick wit, an unfailing radar for nonsense, and deep affection for her beloved dog, Holly, who was very much the center of her world.

More than anything, Cathie valued freedom. So, in a final decision that surprised no one, she chose to leave assisted living and return to independent living—determined to die as she had lived: independent, in charge, and unwilling to be told what to do. If Cathie had one final message to share, it would be this: she lived well, she had fun, and she did things her way. Truly, She wouldn’t have had it any other way.

A service will take place at Fort Logan National Cemetery on Tuesday, June 30th at 1:30p.m. A reception will be held at Carboy Winery starting at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Denver Dumb Friends League would be a meaningful way to celebrate Cathie’s memory.