Catherine Nancy Pabst

Catherine Nancy (nee Arnold) Pabst, age 86, of Baldwin, Maryland, passed away in the early morning hours of Sunday, January 4, 2026, at her home while under hospice care. She passed away due to an illness of short duration following years of physical decline. Born on her parents’ multi-acre (then dairy) farm on Holy Cross Road in Street, Harford County, Maryland, on October 17, 1939, Catherine was the youngest child and only daughter of the late Allen William (“A.W.”) Arnold (1903—1981) and Helen Frances (nee Daughton) Arnold (1906—1980). Catherine’s father, A. W., was born and reared in Weavers Ford, near the Grassy Creek community, in Ashe County, North Carolina (northwestern NC). He later relocated to Maryland about 1924, following a period of time in which he worked as a miner in West Virginia. Catherine’s mother, Helen, was born and reared in Pylesville, Maryland (Wheeler School Road) and never lived farther than 5 or 6 miles from where she grew up. Both parents came from a long-line of farming families. The quintessential farmer’s daughter, Catherine’s earliest memories were of gathering eggs and helping to milk cows by hand, as well as helping her mother in her vegetable garden. Her late father also owned and operated Arnold’s Store in Rocks, Maryland, for many years.

A 1957 graduate of North Harford High School, Pylesville, Maryland, Catherine later earned additional credits in secretarial science at Strayer Business College. Catherine married the love of her life, Robert (“Bob”) L. Pabst, on June 7, 1958, at Highland Presbyterian Church, Street, Maryland. They shared nearly 58 years of marriage together until Bob’s sudden passing on April 3, 2016. In her working life, Catherine had worked at the Colonel MacPhail horse farm and Preferred Finance, both in Bel Air, in secretarial capacities. Later, around 1963, she became a legal underwriting executive secretary in the Research Department of Alex Brown & Sons, Baltimore, Maryland. Catherine left work in September 1967 before having her son, Brian R. Pabst, in January 1968. A beloved wife and mother, next to her relationship with her Lord and Savior, family always came first. She helped to take care of her mother for many years as well as her father during his final illness.

Catherine was the consummate homemaker. At one time Mrs. Pabst made her own curtains and draperies, sewed her own clothes, painted and decorated her home, and actively pursued cooking and baking, both of which she enjoyed greatly as did others who had the pleasure of eating her food! During the 1970s and 1980s, Mrs. Pabst actively plied her skills at floristry, making numerous dried flower arrangements for family and friends as well as church members. For many years she maintained her own homemade jams and jellies business, which was extremely successful. She retired from jam and jelly-making around age 80 due to increasing physical issues. In addition to taking an active interest in her garden and flowers, Mrs. Pabst was talented in landscaping, helping her husband tremendously in planting and raising shrubbery and fruit trees. Musically talented, Catherine took lessons on how to play the organ (a Hammond organ), the guitar, and the banjo, and became very accomplished at playing all three. Both Catherine and Bob thoroughly enjoyed dancing, especially square-dancing and round-dancing, and were active members of two clubs. They served as co-presidents for B&R Rounds (a round dancing club) for a number of years and also regularly square danced with the Wagon Wheelers Club of Lutherville. Both had formerly been active members of the Happy Wanderers Square Dance Club of Jarrettsville.

A woman of strong Christian faith, Mrs. Pabst had the rare gifts of compassion and mercy and exhibited these gifts almost daily. She knew the Lord as her personal Savior and was a person of prayer. Mrs. Pabst was a long-term member of Chestnut Grove Presbyterian Church, Phoenix, Maryland, since 1972, where she served as a deacon for seven (7) years, assisting the elders with serving communion and visiting the sick. She also taught Sunday school (4th and 5th grades) with her husband for many years. Additionally, she served on her church’s annual ham and oyster suppers during the 1970s and 1980s, along with her husband and son.

Mrs. Pabst was blessed with having a strong mind, even during more recent times when she endured so many health challenges, including being fully bed-confined since April 2023 due to severe spinal degeneration and back issues. She will be missed by a great many people, especially by her son whom she considered to be her best friend. Catherine is survived by her loving son Brian R. Pabst, of Baldwin, Maryland, with whom she resided. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, and great grand-nieces and great grand-nephews. In addition to her husband, Robert (“Bob”), Mrs. Pabst was predeceased by her parents, Allen W. and Helen (nee Daughton) Arnold, and by her three (3) brothers: Howard W. Arnold (who passed away in 1996), Harold H. Arnold (who passed away in 2007), and Marshall Lee Arnold (who also passed away in 2007 days after his brother Harold).

Friends and relatives may call at the Schimunek Funeral Home, 610 W. MacPhail Road, Bel Air, Maryland, on Wednesday, January 7th, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9pm. Funeral services will be held at the funeral home at 11:00am on Thursday, January 8th. Interment will be in Bel Air Memorial Gardens. Nephews serving as pallbearers will be Reannon (“Ray”) Arnold, Robin Arnold, Gary Arnold, Glen Arnold, Donnie Arnold, and Andrew Arnold, who is one of Mrs. Pabst’s grand-nephews.