Obituary
Catherine “Cathy” Theresa Dyer, avid volunteer, bird lover, and heart of the family, was welcomed home by God on Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021 at the age of 84.
Cathy was born in Sydney Mines, Cape Breton on September 3rd, 1936 to Thomas McGuigan and Adeline Bragg. She is predeceased by her sisters Mary, Rita, Lena, and Anne, brothers Roy, George, and James, and Edward “Ted” Dyer, her husband of 58 years. Cathy and Ted met in Calgary and were married in Toronto on August 31st, 1957 before settling in BC. They raised four children together: Rob (Monica), Debbie, Tom, and Brenda (Piotr), who were the loves of their life. Cathy also adored her eight grandchildren, Samantha (John), Kyle (Lindsay), Jaden, Kiana, Brianna, Elijah, and Aubrie, as well as Beckie who she is reunited with in Heaven, and her two grandsons, Weston and Jack. She also leaves behind many other cherished family members, including her brother Thomas (Bev).
Cathy was the kind of person who could finish a 1000-piece puzzle with half of them being sky blue, and who laughed until she cried telling a story, unable to finish. Her laugh made you laugh just by hearing it. She loved solitaire, cribbage, and sudoku puzzles, which she’d always fill in lightly with pencil first. She loved sitting outside watching the birds in her yard rest at her feeder and rear young in her birdhouses. She loved dancing and singing like no one was watching, running to the stereo to turn up the volume to Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” or Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect”. And when it came to the Chicken Dance, it only took the first two notes to play for her to be on the dance floor; she was always the first one there.
Cathy was incredibly independent, looking after her siblings after her mother passed, travelling around North America with her children, and joining the air force in 1954 at the age of 18. She would walk everywhere as not to “bother” anyone and would never take the front seat of the car unless you told her to. Cathy always had a garden to be admired, full of a diverse array of vibrant flowers and the buzzing of hummingbirds, chickadees, butterflies, and bees. She was smart, witty, and had an uncanny ability to find four-leaf clovers, which, try as they might, her family has never successfully replicated.
Cathy was well-known in every community she was a part of and truly loved by everyone who knew her. She was a prominent server of the Catholic community, volunteering extensively at Our Lady of Assumption in Port Coquitlam, St. Patrick’s Parish in Maple Ridge, and Project Advance. She donated to numerous charities, especially those sponsoring children. A member of the Royal Canadian Legion, for which she volunteered frequently, she was often seen selling poppies around town. For over 25 years, Cathy fostered 18 children whom she loved like her own and continued to tell tales of through the years. Cathy thought of everyone before herself. She had the biggest heart.
Cathy was a beautiful, compassionate soul who referred to couches as chesterfields, preferred to handwash the dishes, and was killer with a sewing machine. Who was almost always seen wearing blue, whether it be a cardigan, blouse, or rain jacket. Who kept tissues up her sleeves, put trinkets on her wine glasses to establish whose was whose, and waged war against the ants each summer when they’d invade her front porch. She was someone who was frugal when it came to buying items for herself but gave liberally to her family, friends, and community. Cathy was someone who left a profound impact on all who knew her, and who showed us what a life that’s been lived truly looks like.
Cathy Dyer was the greatest mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend we all could ever have hoped for. She was so deeply admired, respected, appreciated, and loved, and will be missed beyond what words can describe.
“Hallelujah
You were an angel in the shape of my mom
You got to see the person I have become
Spread your wings and I know
That when God took you back he said Hallelujah
You’re home”
-Ed Sheeran
In lieu of flowers, a donation to your favorite charity would be appreciated.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Catherine Theresa Dyer, please visit our floral store.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Catherine Theresa Dyer September 3 1936 June 2 2021 (age 84)..
Décès pour la Ville: Maple Ridge, Province: Colombie britanique