Catherine Ruth Martin

It’s taken a few weeks to find the right words. Mostly because the person who would’ve written this best—funnier, sharper, and with at least three pop culture references and a well-timed Biggie Smalls lyric—was Catherine Ruth Martin herself.

Catherine died on June 15, 2025, at age 50, after a five-year standoff with Stage IV colorectal cancer. She died surrounded by family, friends, and the kind of love that doesn’t fit in hospital rooms. Even though some time has passed, her voice still echoes clearly in our heads: “Make it funny. Don’t make it too serious. And for God’s sake, don’t forget the good stuff.”

So, here’s the good stuff.

Catherine was a lot of things: daughter, sister, friend, volunteer, hostess, playlist curator, themed party enthusiast, prankster, karaoke performer, pickleballer, best gift-giver, jam maker, storyteller, wordsmith, and elite-level maker of the original mixed tape. But the role she cherished most—and really got right—was Mama. Her four children, Sophia Claire (21), Nathaniel “Nate” Aubrey (19), Elsie Ruth (18), and Charles Samuel (13), were her proudest accomplishments, her heartbeats, her magnum opus, and the reason she fought cancer like hell.

Catherine grew up in Dover, New Hampshire and her early years were a winding, complicated road. She attended the infamous Élan School in Poland Springs, Maine—yes, that Élan School from the Netflix documentary “The Program.” She had thoughts. Lots of thoughts on Élan. But like everything else she encountered, Catherine made it through with resilience, insight, and a few stories so wild they sound made up. They’re not.

She graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College with a BA in Communications and a minor in English Literature, a degree she used to carve out a successful advertising career linking high-profile companies with the FDA approval process. Her talent for writing extended to all who knew her—unforgettable birthday cards, thank-you notes, and a cuttingly funny and deeply personal Facebook group she cleverly called, “The Remix: Catherine vs. Stage IV,” that made hundreds of people feel like they were part of her inner circle. “The Remix” chronicled her cancer journey with brutal honesty, sharp humor, and the kind of optimism mixed with pain that only Catherine could pull off. The title was a nod to her legendary mixtapes and CDs, which she gave to friends and family, each one documenting a moment in time, filled with songs you didn’t know you needed and songs you forgot you loved. Her taste in music once earned her a guest DJ spot on Chattanooga’s local NPR radio station, which she celebrated by hosting a listening party… at a bail bondsman’s office. (Long story. Classic Catherine.)

Her life unfolded in chapters—Atlanta, Chattanooga (where she became a mother), and finally Clayton, MO, where she moved in 2016 and immediately formed lasting friendships, as she did wherever she went.

In true Catherine fashion, she picked up hobbies like she picked up a great outfit—frequently and with flair. It started as a child where she was once a 4-H sheep whisperer. She moved on to bigger goals and won a 1996 Wing-Eating Contest— a title she wore proudly. She dabbled in chess, archery, golf, tennis, and more recently, pickleball (her true passion, constant source of happiness, and legitimate reason to buy the cute outfits). She was a natural-born prankster and found great joy in planning and executing the perfect stunt. She made her own vanilla paired with a killer strawberry jam to give as gifts (and occasionally failed at raspberry - she had no patience for the seeds). She volunteered with Big Sisters and Planned Parenthood, supported women’s rights and underserved communities, and became an ambassador for colorectal cancer awareness, turning her diagnosis into something more than a dreaded terminal disease. Catherine’s optimism (and sometimes straight up denial) about her prognosis kept her alive far longer than any doctor anticipated.

Catherine loved people. And people loved her back in a big way. She was always the funniest person in the room and had a talent for bringing people together. She didn’t just tell stories—she lived them, collected them, and turned them into connection. She could make a stranger feel like an old friend and an old friend feel like family. She had an easy confidence about herself yet lived with joy, urgency, and just the right amount of mischief. Such good mischief. As one friend said, “Catherine always made you feel like you were her favorite person.” Her gift of authentic charm was just one of her superpowers that drew people to her.

She loved a good turn of phrase but hated clichés—unless they were earned. And this one was certainly earned: To know Catherine was to love her, but to be loved by her was the greatest gift of all. She was the playlist. The party. The punchline. The warmest seat at the table. The reason you laughed until you cried.

We will all be telling “Catherine stories” for many, many years to come.

In addition to her children, survivors include her former husband, Matthew Martin of Clayton; her parents, Dr. William Earl and Mary Jo Dudley II of Charlotte, NC; her brother and sister-in law Robert and Erin Dudley of Charlotte, NC; her nephews Henry (11), Teddy (9), and Walter (6); her sister, Charlotte Anne Dudley of Odenton, MD; many aunts, uncles, and cousins; and friends everywhere she went.

A service and celebration of Catherine’s life will be held in St. Louis on August 9th. More details will be posted on her Facebook.