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Cathy Rasmussen Obituary
Cathy Ann Rasmussen, PhD
May 16, 1969 - October 21, 2022
Cathy Ann Rasmussen, PhD, age 53, of Marshall, WI, passed away Friday, October 21st, 2022.
Cathy, born on May 16, 1969, grew up in Hutchinson, MN. She received her Bachelors in Biology and Chemistry at Macalester College, then achieved her Masters in Biochemistry at University of Wisconsin, Madison, followed by a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology. Cathy dedicated her career to advancing groundbreaking technologies from laboratory to patient, first as a pivotal member of the pioneering team at Stratatech in Madison, WI, and later as Executive Director of the Forward Bio Institute at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She was a leader in regenerative medicine and a mentor to many throughout her life. She was an advocate for women in the biohealth and biotechnology fields through Women in BioHealth. Her legacy will continue in those she mentored.
Outside of her career accomplishments, Cathy loved to travel and garden. She was active in theater, home remodeling, genealogy, and costuming. She leaves behind a large, diverse group of friends and associates.
Cathy is survived by her beloved husband Mark and cherished stepdaughter Rowan, her parents, Donald and Barbara (Tews) Rasmussen, brother Allen (Lisa) Rasmussen, nephews Andrew (Kim), Cody (Maddie), Ryan, and Trenton Rasmussen, niece Alyssa (Bryan) Wotas, and three great-nephews.
The Celebration of Life will be held 10:00 - 4:00 on Saturday, November 5 at her home: 147 Cty Rd BB Marshall, WI 53559
There will be a second Celebration of Life on Friday, November 19, in Hutchinson MN.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Cathy Rasmussen
3 Entries
John Centanni
November 15, 2022
I would not expect that you remember me, but I´ve had the pleasure of working closely with Cathy (both at the UW and at Stratatech) from 2001 to 2010. My sincere condolences to you, Mark and Rowan, for your loss of a truly dynamic woman. During my time working alongside Cathy, I recall her appreciation for you, Mark and how she truly cherished you, Rowan; I believe this was a pivotal moment in Cathy´s life where she was truly happy. Cathy was so proud of Rowan and often shared how fortunate she was for the opportunity to have a positive influence on a young lady´s life and how much she valued that close friendship that was developing at the time.
Within the last couple months, I had a brief email dialogue with Cathy, during this interaction she reminded me and thanked me again for helping her install the butcher blocks in her kitchen and mentioned that she often thinks of me while preparing dinner:) As I recall, my small part in the installation of her butcher block counter was simply using my big blue pick-up truck to haul the counter top out to the house then the tough part was getting it into the kitchen and as I recall, it was pretty heavy.
Cathy´s optimism, "can do" attitude, and radiant smile are the most memorable and valuable traits that I recall from a close colleague who had such a big heart and genuine care for others. Also, of importance, at this early stage in our careers we regularly endured long days and nights of grant writing. During this time Cathy taught me the intricacies of editing, creating documents, reveling codes, and finding hidden or hard to find formatting quirks associated with the software programs that were needed to complete grant applications. To this day, roughly 20 years later as I continue to participate in grant writing activities, I remain grateful for her patience and willingness to share these valuable professional skills that have been so important to me throughout my career. These are just a few thoughts and examples of how Cathy touched my life and like countless others, I will miss the opportunity to see her smile and her true passion for the biotech industry with the goal of advancing technologies to better the lives of people.
Sincerely,
John Centanni
Brenda Soto
November 4, 2022
Thinking of you. Deeply sorry for your loss.
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