Catherine Lee Mimms

Catherine Mimms (née Huyck) died peacefully in Kansas City, Missouri on May 21st 2016 at the age of 56. She is survived by her parents, Noel and Nancy Huyck of Canton, Michigan; her husband, Paul Mimms of Kansas City, Missouri; her daughter,?Amanda Geno of Holyoke, Massachusetts; her sister and brother-in-law, Mary Gibson and Bill Gibson of Canton, Michigan; and her nephew and niece, Ben and Tiffany Gibson of Canton, Michigan. She is preceded in death by her brother, James Huyck, and by her beloved guide dog, Mandy. Catherine was born on March 3, 1960, in Lansing, Michigan. She graduated from Rochester Adams High School in 1978, and later attended Oakland Community College to study medical transcription. In 1998, Catherine married her longtime friend Paul Mimms; the couple met while attending Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester, Michigan. Together they would twice live in Kansas City, Missouri, and also in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. A Type 1 diabetic, Catherine lost her sight in 1987, and would go on to receive kidney and pancreas transplants that greatly improved the quality of her life. In spite of the many challenges she faced, Catherine touched countless people through her loyalty, positive attitude, empathy, and gentle humor. She was an avid reader and a lover of music, and relished opportunities to hear the ocean on her annual trips to Cancun. A memorial service will be held in Rochester, Michigan, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church on Saturday, June 11th at 11:00 am, with a reception to follow. A memorial service will also be held in Kansas City, Missouri at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church on Saturday, June 18th at 10:30 am, with visitation at 9:30 am and a light reception following the service. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (http://www.aspca.org/ways-to-give) or to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (jdrf.org) www.dwnwhitechapel.com