Name: Celebration of Life for Catherine Maley
Start: 2019-08-10T15:00:00.000Z
End: 2019-08-10T17:00:00.000Z
Location: St. Catherine University

Catherine Anne Maley

December 3, 1934 - February 1, 2019

St. Paul, MN

Dr. Catherine "Cappy" Anne Maley was born on December 3, 1934 in St. Paul, MN and passed away on February 1, 2019 in St. Paul, MN. Her parents were Clarence and Gertrude Maley.

Catherine grew up with a fascination for languages after hearing her father speak French and her Aunt Isabel Spanish. After graduating from Cretin-Derham Hall High School, she enrolled in the University of Minnesota to study foreign languages and became a member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. In 1964 she went to the University of Michigan to earn her master's degree and then her doctorate in Romance Linguistics in 1970. That same year she moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to teach.

Catherine was Professor Emerita of French and Romance Linguistics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her distinguished career in academia saw many accolades along the way. In 1985 she was recognized by the Durham Hall Alumnae Association with the Carondelet Award in recognition of her significant professional success. In recognition of her work in French linguistics and her service to French-American cultural relations, the French Education Ministry appointed Professor Maley in 1994 as a foreign member (Chevalier) of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques. She also served as associate dean of the graduate school and director of the UNC Year-at-Montpellier, a junior year Study Abroad in France program.

A champion of gender equality, Catherine was very passionate about the advancement of women. She was an avid traveller, spending the greater part of her leisure time visiting friends and relatives, hitting the slopes of Aspen, eating tapas in Madrid, whale watching in Alaska or barbequing in the land down under. She loved to see the world and absorb cultures, language and human experiences.

She is survived by her brother, John (Karen) Maley, Easton, MD, as well as her many nieces and nephews: Thomas Maley Jr. Missoula, MT, Jeanne (Bob) Meyer, Osceolo, WI, Michael (Doreen) Maley, Redding, CA, Patti (Bob) Campbell, Robins, GA, Kathleen (Sven) Gustafson, Anchorage, AK, Sharon Herbelin, Vancouver, WA; Mark Benolken, St. Paul, MN; Julie (Rob) Benolken, St. Paul, MN; Carolyn Benolken, Portland, OR; Laura Maley, Pisa, Italy, Peter Maley, Chillicothe, IL; many great nieces and nephews, and her childhood friend, Marisa de Andrés, Madrid, Spain.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the IFA Fund in honor of Catherine Maley at the Society for French Historical Studies: https://www.societyforfrenchhistoricalstudies.net/donations1/, Chinard Book Prize/IFA Research Awards Fund.

A Celebration of Life will be held to remember Catherine on August 10, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. in the President's Dining Room of the Coeur de Catherine building of St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The News and Observer on Feb. 11, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for Catherine Maley

Sponsored by O'Halloran & Murphy Funeral and Cremation Services - St. Paul.

5 Entries

Leslie Stephenson Matz

April 16, 2021

I have been trying to locate Dr. Maley for the past two+ years and am so sorry to hear of her passing. Dr. Maley introduced me to the French language at Chapel Hill my freshman year, 1978. She presented the language in such a wonderful fashion that I changed my major from "English/Pre-Law" to "French". I will be forever grateful to Dr. Maley for her linguistic passion, her compassion for and support of her students, her brilliance, and her wit. Her class was never dull! I was fortunate to spend my junior year abroad with Davidson College's program while Dr. Maley directed that year's UNC program. So, I had the luxury of having two de facto advisors that year, Dr. Maley from Chapel Hill, and Dr. Homer Sutton, director of Davidson's JYA program. What a gift to have these two outstanding individuals guiding me that year! As someone else commented, I looked forward to Dr. Maley's annual Christmas card/newsletter and marveled at her spirited enthusiasm well into her senior years. I was grateful to have lunch with Dr. Maley (and introduce her to my husband) in Chapel Hill in 2015. We enjoyed a delightful lunch, laughing as we shared wonderful memories. She will be greatly missed...

Pamella Doby Saladino

October 18, 2019

Every year at Christmas, I eagerly awaited Dr. Maley's Christmas LETTER..Her travels, her love for her PRECIOUS family and all her FRIENDS were woven into that letter!
My greatest year was in Montpellier 1977-1978! Dr. Maley led the UNC group and what a spectacular year it was. Witty, vivacious, SMART OFF THE CHARTS, Dr. Maley was the perfect professor! I played on the Universite de Montpellier basketball team that year/team won conference & actually played in Marseilles for regionals. All the years that passed and she never forgot that I played!
Also, I was privileged to be chosen to be her TA in my last year at UNC.
While living in MN (mid 90's), I had the opportunity to visit with her as well.
I apologize for late posting. I only found out the news today. The 1979 Class of UNC celebrates our 40th next week-end in Chapel Hill. I will ALWAYS be thankful to this wonderfully brilliant professor for enriching my young life!!!! She was the ultimate SUPER STAR at UNC! Love to all of her family/friends/colleagues.

Christmas in Madrid 2014

MARISA DE ANDRES

February 16, 2019

I,as an exchange student, was part of the Maley family in 1956/57. Cappy and I developed a very close friendship and became like sisters. She came to Spain for Christmas in numerous occasions, I visited her in North Carolina and in Montpelier and we traveled together in France, England, Spain and Tunisia. She enjoyed life to the utmost and was an intrepid traveler and a wonderful companion. I treasure warm recollections and will miss her very deeply.
My sincere condolences .

Homer Sutton

February 12, 2019

Catherine and I offer our sincere condolences to Cathy's family. I first met her in Montpellier, France, where she was directing UNC's program and I Davidson's, in 1981.
I then worked with her on the board of the French Institut of Washington for a decade; she would hold very enjoyable meetings and receptions. She was instrumental in reviving the Institut, founded to advance Franco-American cultural relations.
RIP, Cathy, you are missed by many.

Jude 2

February 11, 2019

My sincere condolences to the family at this challenging time. May mercy and peace and love be increased to you.

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