Cathy Morris

1952 - 2022

Cathy Morris

1952-2022

It 's been said that behind every good man is an even better woman. In my case, she was not only better, she was the best.

Friday morning March 11th, 2022, the best woman in the world, my lovely wife Cathy Morris passed away unexpectedly. Born in Chicago in 1952, her birth name was Catherine Ellen Maher and after her first marriage she became Cathy Bernard. Later she became my wife, Cathy Morris.

Cathy was the smartest woman in the world. After a break of 25+ years from Allan Hancock she returned and easily obtained an Associate in Arts Degree. Her favorite movie was The Big Chill, which she could quote verbatim. She loved to watch Fraser and Jeopardy. Had she tried, she not only would have qualified she would have won games on television. She had a steel trap memory. She was funny, quick witted. She made the best tuna fish salad and the best chili in the world. She cooked all things well including chicken in the van.

Cathy loved to travel, food tours and tours in general. She loved 60s and 70s music and concerts, with Earth Wind & Fire being her favorite. She was a Laker fan and a Raider fan but most of all she loved to watch the San Francisco Giants on television and live. We visited 27 active baseball parks and 5 inactive parks. Covid interrupted our goal to see all 30 active parks.

Cathy developed great, long-lasting friendships with people from elementary school through high school. She developed strong, lasting friendships from long employments at Colombia Records, General Telephone, and Arrow Automotive. She excelled at every workplace, always receiving high marks for her excellent work. She had the dubious distinction of working at these places until they moved or went out of business. She retired from the Santa Barbara County Probation Department after 20 years. They are still in business!

She is survived by me, Bill, her husband of 21 too-short years (together 24 years), very close and loving family members such as sons by her first husband (Michael Bernard) Matthew Bernard and Geoff Bernard and his wife Juli, her brother Edward Maher and his wife Libbie, niece Peggy and husband John, nephew Tony Reeves and wife Sherry and loved great nieces and great nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents Sterling and Elizabeth Maher and sisters Mary Reeves Maher and Elizabeth Maher.

Thank you Kamlesh Desai, MD and staff for always making time available to help her, long conversations and your caring treatment which went well above and beyond. Thank you Brett Bluett, MD and Peter Garcia, MD for your treatment and support. Thank you, American Medical Response, for the many trips to the hospital and your long attempt to revive her.

Cathy generously donated to various organizations. If anyone would like to make a donation I know that Cathy would love, in lieu of flowers, small donations to the following organizations: St. Jude Children Hospital

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson Research

American Cancer Society American Heart Association

Services for Cathy begin Friday, March 18th at Dudley Hoffman in Santa Maria with visitation at 12:30, services at 1:00 pm.

There will be a reception at the VFW Building on 200 E. Battles across from the post office at 5pm.

Visit www.dudleyhoffmanmortuary.com to leave a condolence for the family