Catherine "Cathy" Jean Plath, 71, from Batavia, NY, passed away on May 20, 2024, peacefully in her sleep.
Cathy, born on February 24, 1953 to the late William and Marian (Borkman) Plath in Batavia, was the youngest of six children (Alice, David, Gracia, Alan, Daniel, and Cathy). She was a lover of music from a young age, listening to the records of little known artists such as Cher, The Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix, among others. She went to Woodstock as a last minute trip to listen to live music, with no idea how famous the festival would become, and attended numerous concerts at The Aud in Buffalo.
After graduating from high school in 1971, Cathy worked in numerous factory settings throughout her life including F.E. Mason Seal Company, The Melton Shirt Company, and P.W. Minor. She enjoyed sewing and working with garments early in her life; she created her own clothes in high school and was a master with a sewing machine. Another passion of hers was watching sports; she was an avid fan of the Buffalo Bills and Sabres, frequenting games in rain, shine, and snow "back in the day". Every season, she held out hope that they would go all the way to take the Super Bowl or Stanley Cup. As frustrated as she would get at them year after year, she watched her teams play every chance she could, sporting shirts, blankets, and pillows with their logos until the end.
Along with music, she loved spending time with friends. Cathy lost her best friend, Karen Barone, as a teenager to a drunk driver; it was devastating and something that shaped the rest of her life. From a sad situation, however, Cathy gained the close relationship with Peter and Josephine Barone, Karen's parents. Through the years, they remained close and ultimately acted as grandparents to her daughter, Holliday, when she was born in 1989.
She was an excellent mom - supportive, kind, and smart, with a dash of stubbornness. Even when she was officially diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis in 1999 and her symptoms were becoming more noticeable, she pushed the limits to maintain her independence and participate in "normal" things for as long as possible. She attended school functions such as plays, concert band performances, parades, and graduation, even though it was far from easy. She also was an avid crossword solver, a pastime she instilled into Holliday.
Cathy was moved to a nursing home in 2011 after a fall that resulted in a broken ankle. In 2023, she finally gave the green light to move to Long Island, where Holliday and her family had been residing. The move from Batavia was not easy, but Catherine was able to spend her last full year, a whole four seasons, with her daughter and grandkids close by. Visits filled with Twizzlers, crafts, chocolate, coloring books, and fire truck sirens became a routine that made the other stuff easier to deal with.
Catherine is survived by her daughter Holliday (Tom), two grandchildren, Juliette and Patrick, her siblings Gracia, Alice, and Alan, and numerous beloved nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, and lifelong friends. Without her physical body, she is no doubt walking, running, and flying, and is reunited with those who we've also lost including Karen, Josie, and Peter Barone, her brothers Danny ("Boots") and Dave Plath, and numerous cats (Butch, Stretch, Jack, and Belle).
