Catherine Clara Champine

Catherine Champine, 101, passed away peacefully, alert and sharp-minded until the very end. Born in 1924, a few years before the Great Depression, she was the second of seven children and grew up learning how to make the most of very little— a skill that became a defining trait throughout her long and remarkable life.

At just 17, while mailing a letter for her mother, she noticed a posting for a job with the Internal Revenue Service. On a whim, she inquired, only to find the interviewer on-site. When asked what she could do, she replied with characteristic confidence and humility: “If you teach me, I can do it.” She was hired one week shy of her 18th birthday, requiring special permission due to her age. That bold moment launched a lifelong career with the IRS, where she worked faithfully until her retirement.

A devoted daughter and sister, she never married, instead choosing to dedicate herself to her family. She lived with and cared for her parents, along with two siblings who also never married, continuing to live together after their parents’ passing. She retired early to care for her father, a carpenter, and her mother, a farmer—roles she took on with deep devotion and quiet grace.

Like many of her generation, she lived lean and worked hard. She sewed her own clothes, canned vegetables, and worked the family farm—planting gardens, picking apples, and sharing the bounty with her nieces and nephews, who learned those same values by her side.

Despite her small frame, she had an astonishing appetite and an equally hearty appreciation for life. She enjoyed a good game of cards, a crisp martini or Budweiser, and the company of family who looked to her as the steady heart of their clan. She was the family driver, the voice of reason, and the quiet strength everyone relied upon.

She remained steadfast in her Catholic faith throughout her life, often reminding those around her to “leave that up to the Good Lord—He’ll take care of it.” Her faith, pragmatism, and self-discipline guided her for more than a century.

One of her first paychecks tells the story of her generosity: when she started at the IRS, she turned her salary over to her mother, who in turn gave her enough change each day for a bag of chips on the way home. That money helped feed and educate her younger siblings—a gesture that captured the essence of who she was: selfless, loyal, and quietly giving.

She lived independently until a fall in July of this year, remaining in her own home past her 101st birthday. She will be remembered as a woman of grace, grit, and unwavering devotion—an anchor to her family and a testament to a generation defined by resilience and love. She was preceded in death by her niece, Mary, and her husband, Ken Smith. She is survived by her nieces and nephews — Mark Richer (Sabrina), Jane Cheyne (Dave), Suzanne Geronimi (Jean-Pierre), and Paul Richer (Kerri) — as well as 14 great-nieces and nephews and 17 great-great-nieces and nephews.

A viewing will be held on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at Kaul Funeral Home, 28433 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores, MI 48081. Visitors are welcome from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., with the Rosary at 7:00 p.m. A final viewing will be held on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 22412 Overlake St, St. Clair Shores, MI 48080, followed by the Funeral Mass at 10:00 a.m., with burial and a luncheon to follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit, in loving memory of Catherine, by visiting www.solanuscasey.org