Born: Revelstoke, B.C. March 7, 1918.
Passed: Abbotsford, B.C. October 29, 2019
We were blessed to have her love, guidance and wisdom for over 101 years, but it is still difficult to say goodbye to our beautiful, gracious and beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother (“GG”), Aunt, and good friend.
Kay Cato grew up in Revelstoke, BC. After High School, she worked as a telephone operator, and it was on the job where she met Pierce Dennis (Mac) McManus, who had come out from Winnipeg to work as a telegrapher on the CPR. They were married in 1941, and had two daughters, Diane and Marlene.
Kay and Mac and their family moved a lot as Dad bid on different jobs on the railroad. Mom always loved the adventure of a new start in a new environment. She enjoyed sewing and had a creative flair for decorating that could make any humble house into a beautiful cozy home…..even the dwelling above the Mission CPR station where they lived for a few years. They moved 17 times. Kay was a great cook and baker and our home was always filled with wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. She even continued making her own bread right up to her 101st year.
Kay lost the love of her life, Mac, her husband of 60 years in 2001. She continued living on her own in their Park Place condo, taking care of her own meals, cleaning, shopping and banking right up to the last few months of her life, when she finally accepted some help and had her daughter Marlene stay with her.
She lived many years with a leaky valve in her heart, but it never slowed her down much, until she had a heart attack on October 22. She amazed everyone by surviving not only that, but a procedure to open the blocked artery. We are thankful that procedure by Dr. Chan at Royal Columbian Hospital, gave us another whole week to have her with us. Her family all got to see her in Abbotsford Regional Hospital and she was smiling and conversing with them all, until the day she passed. She died peacefully with her two daughters beside her. Our thanks to Dr. Elmayergi and Dr. Culkin for their care during her life, as well as the caring nurses and staff on the Cardiac Care Ward at ARH.
She is survived by her two daughters, Diane Wilson and Marlene Nelson; six Grandchildren, Cheray (Flemming) Brandt, Lisa Ehrne, David (Christi) Nelson, Gina Nelson, Lana (Darren) Kelly, Kari-Lynn (Dave) Kenny; and six great-grandchildren, Kira-Lea, Tanner, Phoenix, Genesis, Jack, and Jakob.
She also had many who called her Aunt, or Great Aunt, and many more who called her Friend.
Rest in Peace Mom. We know you are in God’s care, with Dad, and we will see you again.
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