Catherine Carmela Rocca

Catherine Carmela Rocca was born August 26, 1929 in Providence, Rhode Island to Charles Rocca and Mina Cappelletti Rocca. She died April 12, 2024 in Marietta, Georgia following a brief illness.

She moved around the country a bit until settling in Southern California in the 1950s. She lived there until moving to Georgia in 2021 to be with her sister Jane.

Catherine, also known as Cath or Cathy to family and Kate to colleagues and friends, spent most of her working years at Disney Studios, where she spent the latter part of her career working as a story editor. She was very interested in movies and film making and produced two films plus a documentary with her Disney friend and colleague, Liz Brown.

She was married twice, but had no children. She doted on her many nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews and great-grandnephews, showering them with all the love they could soak up. As children, they loved having a connection to Disney through her. She was definitely the "cool aunt" providing Disney tickets and Disney stationery among other Disney souvenirs.

Catherine had a way of "working the room" at any family gathering, speaking to each person there, giving her full attention. She had a way of making everyone feel like their thoughts were important with how she asked questions and truly listened.

She shared deep love with cousins that were also close friends, along with dear friends who became family to her. Many of them pre-deceased Catherine, but there are still a number of cousins and friends who dearly loved her, including Debby Dill who loved her as she would a mother and cared for her like a daughter would during Catherine's later years while she still lived alone in S. Pasadena.

Catherine is survived by her sister Jane Rocca Fairbairn and Jane's children: Matt Fairbairn and wife Karen, Susan Fairbairn Winkelspecht and husband Charles, Scot Fairbairn and wife Renee, Jamie Fairbairn Williams and husband Tony; Beckie Fairbairn Sealock and husband Kit, along with Jane's four granddaughters and two great-grandsons. She is also survived by her brother John Rossi and wife Mary Jane and their children: Christina Rossi Hankins and husband Bob, John Rossi, Kathleen Rossi Borrmann and husband Oliver, son Daniel Rossi, along with John and Mary Jane's five grandchildren. She was pre-deceased by her parents Mina Rossi, Charles Rocca, and dear second father Oscar Rossi, plus former husbands Joseph Capadona and Gordon Siechert.