Catherine Ann Baxley Hofher passed away peacefully following a long illness on November 30, 2021 at her home in Advance, North Carolina. She was creative, caring, and well loved. She made friends wherever she went.
Cathy was born on November 24, 1954 in Lumberton, North Carolina to the late M. Pope Baxley and Joyce Freeman Baxley. She graduated with the first graduating class of Independence High School in Charlotte in 1972. Her family moved to Winston-Salem, where Cathy attended Wake Forest University for one year. She then moved to Sarasota, Florida to attend Ringling School of Art, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
She was immensely skilled in the arts. She began her freelance career after college in graphic design and illustration. She worked actively and consistently for 35 years in commercial design and graphic illustration. Cathy also published children’s books; illustrating books ‘Reach for the Sky,’ ‘Put Your Best Foot Forward,’ ‘Take a Deep Breath,’ and ‘What Can I Do Today.’ She was gifted in all media of art, creating, decorating, and illustrating in her spare time. She was an avid reader, always with a book close by, enjoyed working on crossword puzzles, and beating her family members at Scrabble. She enjoyed all types of music, but especially The Beatles, Norah Jones, Jimmy Buffett, and her favorite, Elton John.
Cathy was a dedicated wife and mother. She moved around the country with her family supporting her husband’s football coaching career. She was a board member of the American Football Coaches Wives Association (AFCWA), was the editor of the AFCWA newsletter for 10 years, and served as president of the AFCWA for one year. She was always active in her daughters’ lives, whether it be PTA, sports, or any neighborhood or other activities. Cathy created lasting friendships in each town she and her family lived.
She leaves behind her husband of almost 40 years, Jim Hofher; daughters, Tara (Stephen) Puckett, Shannon Hofher (Kyle) Rauser, and Molly Hofher (Jeff Gdula); grandchildren, Lane Puckett, Mallory Puckett, Heidi Rauser, and Quinn Rauser; sisters, Donna (Tony) Bates and Sherri Rumfelt; sisters-in law, Mary Beth Mansfield and Patsy (Dave) Mylchreest; numerous nieces and nephews; and many loved ones and friends.
A celebration of Cathy’s life will be held on Friday, December 10th, at 1PM, at College Park Baptist Church on Polo Road in Winston-Salem. The family will receive friends immediately following the service at the church. Covid safety measures will be in place and masks are required. The service will be live streamed via the College Park Baptist Church Facebook page (@CollegeParkWS) for those unable to attend in person.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org/donate) or Trellis Supportive Care (trellissupport.org).
