Catherine Elizabeth Young

Cat was born on May 20, 1949, in Laredo, Texas, to the late William Ned “Bill” Young Sr. and Catherine “Carrie Lee” Young. She grew up in Laredo, where she graduated from Laredo United High School, before pursuing an extraordinary career in medicine that would span more than four decades.

After high school graduation, Catherine spent most of her early adult life as a Benedictine sister in Boerne, TX. During that time, she became a registered nurse and worked with the sisters in their Home Health Services. They received an award for their work with the elderly and aging which took Catherine to Washington, DC to accept the award with her fellow sisters. Her work with the elderly led her to pursue her medical degree at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston, TX. Her training at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston included riding Life Flight and learning more about emergency medicine in pediatrics.

Cat dedicated her life to pediatric critical care and emergency medicine. Her career highlights include serving on numerous medical and public health committees across Texas and Kansas, including the Texas Governor’s EMS and Trauma Advisory Council (GETAC), the Homeland Security Regional Council of Sedgwick County, Kansas and the Ethics Committee for the City of Eagle Pass. In 2000, she was honored as Medical Director of the Year by the State of Texas House of Representatives for her work serving underserved communities. She also served communities outside of the United States that included six mission trips to provide medical care to Mayan populations in Mexico.

Her life was one of service, faith, and fierce compassion. After over three decades as a Benedictine nun, she left the order to further her medical career.

She made her final home in Harlingen, in an area of South Texas known as “the Valley.” She retired in 2023, having most recently served as Medical Director for Centene Corporation for over a decade.

She was known for her deep intellect, generous spirit, and strong opinions — which she shared in spirited debates with siblings and loved ones. After her retirement, she joined the Cameron County Master Gardener Association in 2023 and became a Master Gardener. She loved tending to both her own and the community gardens. She was a proud board member of the Gladys Porter Zoo. She also enjoyed fishing, traveling, cooking, and practicing her faith.

Cat’s memory will be cherished by her loving family, including her sister Karen Ann (Terren) Roark (née Young); their children Christopher Roark, and Fallon (Sterling) Bradford and grandchildren Keagan and Kinsley; her sister-in-law Leslie Young (née Lepovitz) and daughters Charlotte Young, Victoria (Cole Gavlick) Young, and Sapphire Young; and her beloved cousin LT. Col. Lenora (née Leyendecker) (Col. Eric) Nelson, USAF Retired and their children Rita, Allison, and Emily Nelson and cousins Jeanne Marie (Philip) McKeon III (née Young);

Rosemary (Fred) Collins (née Young) and Mary Ann (Harry) Durham (née Young), Nancy (Andre) Goodman ( née Leyendecker) and Patricia (David) Martinez (née Leyendecker) and many more cousins

She was preceded in death by her parents, William “Bill” Young Sr. and Catherine “Carrie Lee” Young, her sister Sandra Kay Young, and her brothers John Gerard Young and William “Bill” Young Jr.

Funeral Services:

A Rosary will be held at 9:15 a.m. on Thursday, August 14, 2025, followed by Mass at 10:00 a.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 412 S. "C" Street, Harlingen, Texas. A reception will follow.

A funeral mass will also be held in Boerne, Texas on Saturday, August 16, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. with internment and reception to follow; at Benedictine Sisters St. Scholastica Monastery 216 W. Highland Dr. Boerne, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Cat’s memory to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas — a place she loved and supported.