Cathy D. Aldana

1955 - 2020

Cathy D. Aldana, 65, died of natural causes on October 28, 2020, at her home in Park Ridge, IL. She was a devoted aunt, daughter, and executive who will be remembered for her work ethic, her generosity, and her love of the arts.

Cathy was born on September 6, 1955, in Portsmouth, VA. In early years, her family lived in Pearl River, NY. She spent most of her childhood in Pennsylvania, where the family skied nearly every weekend in the winter. Besides being a natural athlete, Cathy was also a skilled piano player. As a teenager, her family moved to Illinois. She attended Palatine High School and played on its tennis team.

After graduating from Palatine in 1973, Cathy received her associate degree in legal secretary studies from Harper College and her bachelor's in psychology from Lewis University. In her 20s, she worked as a paralegal for a law firm, while also fulfilling her sense of adventure by obtaining her pilot's license and running the Chicago and New York marathons.

In 1987, Cathy began her long and impressive career in the railway industry, becoming an executive assistant to Edward A. Burkhardt, the CEO of Wisconsin Central Railroad. When Burkhardt left the company in 1999, Cathy joined him in founding a new railroad leasing company called Rail World, Inc.

As the vice president for research and administration, Cathy was integral to the growth and success of Rail World. She worked incredibly hard: frequently traveling abroad to help the company expand its international operations, and even running the New Zealand consulate from her office when Burkhardt was named the country's honorary consul to Chicago.

Though Cathy was extremely dedicated to her career, she will be remembered most fondly as Aunt Wonderful Cathy, or "AWC", to her dear nieces and nephews. She showed them endless care and generosity and could often be spotted at their sporting events and concerts.

Cathy visited friends in nursing homes and spent time with the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. She became so close with the nuns, in fact, that they nicknamed her "The Muffin Lady" due to her penchant for bringing them baked goods. She frequently took the nuns into the city to see events or plays, as well.

That was true Cathy: eager to share her love of Chicago's culture with others. She was constantly organizing events and outings, inviting friends (and sometimes strangers!) to join her on everything from a night at the Lyric Opera to a jazz boat tour of Lake Geneva. She relished the city's art, theatre, and music, and was a loyal patron of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Art Institute, and Chicago Botanic Garden.

Above all, Cathy will be remembered as kind and big-hearted. She never hesitated to help or give, whether it was a check so you could fix your car or a spare electric piano so you could learn to play. She tirelessly supported the dreams of others, even when it meant putting her own on hold.

Over the past year, Cathy had finally begun to prepare for retirement planting flowers around her Park Ridge apartment, volunteering at the Grosse Pointe Lighthouse, hitting up estate sales, scheduling a piano recital. We are devastated by the tragic loss of her life and the future she had planned. Our only comfort will be keeping Cathy alive in our hearts: by cherishing each moment, by adoring the arts, and by believing in each other and ourselves.

Cathy is predeceased by her brother, Rick, father, Richard, and mother, Catherine. She is survived by her brothers Jim and Steve, and the nieces and nephews of the family.

Services will be held when it is safe to do so; to be notified when the date is set, please email flyer1212@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, in-memoriam donations may be made to the Greater Chicago Food Depository or the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.