Charlotte Henny Cathey

Charlotte Henny Cathey passed away peacefully on September 13th, 2025, at the age of 77. Charlotte was born in Milwaukee on March 16th, 1948. She attended West Division High School, graduating in 1966. She went on to earn her bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and dedicated her life to helping people with their struggles.

One of Charlotte's most admirable traits was her compassion for people who are vulnerable. She worked as a probation and parole officer for 30 years, treating her clients with kindness and dignity. Charlotte never judged people based on their mistakes; she believed in second chances and people's inherent goodness. This is why total strangers would often share personal secrets with her in random places. The DMV, a mall, the end of an off ramp-wherever she was, people trusted her and knew they were safe.

Charlotte was also a naturally curious person. She had a passion for reading, especially novels. She devoured hundreds of them throughout her life, even the ones with a shirtless Fabio on the cover. Charlotte gave them all a chance because, again, that was her nature. She loved film festivals and Broadway and jazz and traveling and so many other things that made her such a vibrant, interesting person. (This was certainly a factor in her uncanny ability to elicit confessions from people she'd never met before.)

Charlotte struggled with a serious spinal cord injury for the latter part of her life. Her kindness was rivaled only by her toughness and ability to persevere through pain that would have caused most people to give up. Her tenacity was epic, and it serves as an example for family, friends, and even strangers who might have disclosed personal information to her while walking down Wisconsin Avenue or waiting in line at Pick n' Save. Charlotte was the kind of tough that most people never see up close.

Charlotte is survived by her children Nicole and Adam, grandchildren Mateo, Zuri and Imani, nephews John, Andy, and Peter, and best friend Donna. She was preceded in death by her parents Jack and Henny Gruenwald, her sister Ruth, her brother-in-law Donovan, and her husband Willie Cathey. A visitation and service will be held on Sunday, October 19th, at CHURCH AND CHAPEL FUNERAL HOME (7626 W. Greenfield Avenue). Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m., followed by the service at 3:00 p.m.