Catherine Exner

Catherine Exner 1923 - 2009 ADAMS Catherine Exner, 86, of 16 Harding Ave., died Tuesday morning, Sept. 29, 2009, at the Winchester Hospital in Winchester. Born in North Adams on May 26, 1923, the eldest child of Nicola and Catherine Waters Costa, she attended North Adams schools and graduated from Drury High School in 1942, and later studied in the field of nursing. Mrs. Exner worked for the Red Cross for several years and also for the former Adams Nursing Homes for many years. She is also remembered for the individual nursing care that she provided to friends and neighbors throughout her life, providing help and comfort to the very sick and their families. She will be remembered for her support to the elderly community of Berkshire County. Mrs. Exner was honored as Massachusetts Catholic Daughter for 1980 for her unselfish work in the community. When recommending Cathy, the Court wrote, "There are so many people in this world pre-occupied with their own selves, their own problems, good times, and successes, without any regard or concern for their fellow man, that it is refreshing and heart warming to know a person who does not think of one's self first, but rather, last." To us, Cathy Exner is one humanitarian in a million and we love her. God bless her. She was a communicant of the former St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Adams and a member of the Rosary Sodality, Alter Guild, Catholic Daughters of America, a leader for the parish girl scout troop, and a supporter of the Catholic missionaries. She was a member of the county Council on Aging and helped to form and support senior citizens centers throughout the area. She was also an avid Boston Red Sox fan. Her husband, Paul J. Exner Jr., whom she married on March 22, 1944, died March 6, 1997. She leaves one son, Paul J. Exner III, and his wife, Christine, of Reading, with whom she made her home for the last two years; one brother, Anthony Costa of North Adams; two grandchildren, Amy Bloom and her husband, Jeremy, of Somerville and Natalie Exner of Brookline; and numerous in-laws, nieces and nephews. FUNERAL NOTICE: The funeral for Catherine Exner will be Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009, at 9 a.m. from the TROTTIER PRINGLE FUNERAL HOME, 6 Summer St., Adams, followed by a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in the Parish of Pope John Paul the Great in Adams. Burial will follow in Bellevue Cemetery in Adams. Calling hours at the funeral home will be Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Mission of Father Guy Velladita of San Pedro Puxtla, El Salvador, a long time friend of Mrs. Exner, through the funeral home.