Catherine Easton Stern

Catherine Crowninshield Easton Stern (Cathy), 96, of Austin and Round Rock (formerly Houston) passed away peacefully on August 24, 2023. She was born on June 7, 1927 in Kansas City, Missouri to Charles Lawren Stevens Easton and Catherine Crowninshield Perkins. Her father was a private preparatory school headmaster who had graduated from Boston University in philosophy and received a Master’s from Harvard University. He was a descendant of well-known Nantucket whaling families dating back to the 1600s. Her mother was a reading teacher who also graduated from Boston University and received a Master’s in Education from Teacher’s College/Columbia University. Her mother was descended from the Henry Perkins family of Bridgewater, MA and also from the Crowninshield family of Salem and Marblehead, MA, both dating back to the 1700s.

Cathy and her younger sister, Carolyn (Carol), moved a lot as her father’s employment changed often. She lived in Staten Island, NY, Sarasota, FL, Cincinnati, OH and Greenwich, Ct. She spent many summers in Bridgewater, MA with her cousins at her mother’s family farm and in West Sommerville (Boston) with her father’s family. Language was fascinating to her; she loved to listen to her father discuss philosophy, religion and politics, and she loved to write. As a child, she attended the preparatory University School in Cincinnati where her father was headmaster. It was there that, at age 8, she met a young German Jewish refugee named Herbert Stern, then 16, who had just arrived in the US. Her parents divorced when she was in high school, and her father married Therese Steiner, the distant cousin and sponsor of Herbert.

Cathy attended Antioch College and participated in its work/study program where she was a copy girl for the Chicago Sun Times, a candy striper at Mt. Sinai Hospital’s children’s ward in NYC, and a file clerk for the US government in Washington D.C. as part of the war effort. At the end of World War II, she was re-introduced to Herbert who had returned after 4 years’ service in the US Army as a sergeant. They fell in love and were married on November 30, 1946. The couple originally lived in Cincinnati but were soon transferred to Houston, TX for Herb’s job. Cathy finished her undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Houston. She then raised three children – Nancy, Peter and Charles. During these years, she was active in the League of Women Voters, local Democratic party activities, Nancy’s girl scout troops, Peter and Charles’ school bands, and Emerson Unitarian Church. She often helped her children with their writing and spent many hours driving them to dance or music lessons or school activities. She and Herb lived in the Bellaire section of Houston when the children were small but built a home in the Memorial area in 1962.

After Nancy graduated from high school, Cathy went back to school at the University of Houston and received her Master’s in English & Creative Writing, and her teaching certification. She studied with Stanley Plumly (co-director of the program), and with short story writer Donald Barthelme, poets Richard Howard and Edward Hirsch, and essayist Phillip Lopate. She taught English at Spring Branch High School and later, taught remedial English and creative writing at the University of Houston - Downtown branch. She continued writing and focusing on poetry. Her poems were published in The Paris Review, The New Republic, and in several collections including A Wider Giving: Women Writing After A Long Silence, Echoes For A New Room, the Leaf Raker and many Texas Poetry Calendars. In 1985, Cathy received the PEN Southwest-Houston Discovery Prize for Poetry. From the 1990s through the early 2000s, she taught memoir and creative writing at the Houston Jewish Community Center and taught poetry writing at Inprint Houston, a non-profit organization hosting writers’ workshops. And, she tutored middle school and high school students in English. For many years, Cathy also took care of her mother. She and Herb regularly attended symphony, dance and opera performances as well as plays. They traveled widely across the US, Great Britain, Ireland and Europe. They enjoyed entertaining friends and neighbors from Bellaire, Memorial, their book club and more at their home or their family “cabin” in New Ulm, TX.

Cathy continued teaching until she and Herb moved to Austin in 2014 to be closer to Nancy and family. They lived at Atria at the Arboretum for 5 years where they made many friends and were involved in the writing group. In 2019, they moved to The Enclave at Cedar Park in assisted living for more care. The family decided to move Herb in with Nancy and Richard in 2021, and moved Cathy to Poet’s Walk Memory Care in Round Rock where she remained until her death.

Cathy will be remembered for her unwavering kindness, her ability to listen to others and problem-solve, her wonderful poetry and writings, her outstanding skill as a teacher, and, above all, her love for and dedication to her family and friends.

Cathy was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert (deceased May 4, 2023), parents Charles and Catherine, step-mother Therese Steiner, sister Carolyn Easton Friedman, uncles and aunts, and most of her first cousins.

She is survived by daughter Nancy Stern Bain (Richard Rutner)-Austin, TX, son Peter Stern (Deborah)-Topeka, KS, son Dr. Charles Stern (Dr. Sharon)-Waco, TX; grandchildren Charles K. Stern-Lenexa, KS, Dr. Caroline Stern (Rob Kancilia)-Denver, CO, Ian Rutner (Sophia Rusu)-Philadelphia, PA, Dr. Colin Rutner-New Orleans, LA, Sarah Stern Ochel (Jordan)-Waco, TX, Emily Stern Cox (Dr. Andrew)-Dallas, TX, Rachel Stern (Nathan Parven)-Leander, TX; great-grandchildren Jacob and Molly Cox, and Charlotte Ochel; niece Janet Friedman Pizzo (Capt. Joseph Lynn), nephew Bruce Friedman (Amy), great-nieces/ great-nephews Richard (Joanna), Hannah, David, Stephanie and Henry Friedman, nephew James Quinn (Lynne), niece Sue Quinn Swenson (Joe-decd.), niece Ann Quinn Todd (Jerry), niece Nancy Quinn Llamo (Hugo), great-niece Heather Swenson (Regnier Pumarega), great-nephews Woody (Amy) and Jack (Stacie) Quinn, and numerous cousins, friends, colleagues and honorary family members. The family wishes to thank Cathy’s doctors, medical team and caregivers.

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service for Cathy will take place on Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 1:00pm at Cook-Walden/ Capital Parks Funeral Home, 14501 North Interstate 35, Pflugerville, Texas 78660 (main 2nd entrance off Interstate 35 feeder road, with large parking lot and one-story building with side portico; not the first entrance that turns into the cemetery). The service will also be live-streamed.

For more information, please visit the Cook-Walden Capital Parks – Pflugerville website: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/funeral-homes/texas/pflugerville/cook-waldencapital-parks-funeral-home/4993 or email: [email protected]

Memorial donations in Cathy’s honor may be sent to:

Inprint Houston – 1520 West Main, Houston, TX 77006

https://inprinthouston.org/support-us/

University of Houston-Downtown

https://www.uhd.edu/aur/advancement/how-to-give-to-uhd.aspx

PEN America

https://pen.org/give/

Alzheimer’s Association – Capital of Texas Chapter (or your local chapter)

https://act.alz.org/site/Donation2?df_id=57149&mfc_pref=T&57149.donation=form1

or the charitable organization of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldencapitalparks.com for Catherine's family.