CATHERINE ADA MacEWEN. 1950 - 2018
Catherine passed away peacefully at home, on March 14, 2018, with her beloved husband and life partner of 32 years, Anthony Lysak, at her side, after a valiant battle with cancer.
Catherine was the daughter of and predeceased by Gladys (nee Ullett) and Gerald MacEwen of Ottawa and the sister of Thomas MacEwen who died at a young age in 1976. Catherine is survived by her sister-in-law and brother-in-law Sandra and Mike Prokopiw of Edmonton, their children, Sera and her partner Anne, and Sean and his wife Jess and baby daughter Eira of Cumbria, England. She is also survived by and will be missed by many cousins from the MacEwen and Ullett Clans and Anthony’s Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and extended family. She is dearly missed by her many friends and neighbors old and new, including Karen Thompson, Harvey Aitchison, Dana and David Clemens, Laura Clemens and Ian Conway, Adele Freeman and Geoff Kettel, Jim Bebko and Patty Osborne, Ed Blackstock and Irina Valentin, Dan Shand, Zoltan Harsanyi and Pat Antliff, Sylvie Lavoie and Bill King, Mardi and Robert Schuler, Moira and John Coull, The Gurr family, Carolyn, George, and Sam Graziani, Doug and Donna Patterson, Donna LePan and Marsha Contway, Carole Dandurand and Cindy D. Larocque. Catherine was born on October 2, 1950 in Ottawa. Her father worked for Bell Telephone so they moved around Eastern Ontario. Catherine ended up at Queens University after high school and completed an arts degree there followed by a degree in Psychology from Carleton. After university in Ottawa she followed in her father’s footsteps and began a long and successful career at Bell. In 1975, she transferred to Toronto where she commenced her climb up the management ladder. During her time at Bell and Stentor, she met the love of her life Anthony and they married in 1985.Catherine strived for excellence and completed her MBA at York University in 1985, while working full time. In 2000, Bell decided Catherine needed another challenge and released her. Never one to miss an opportunity, she enrolled in a Human Resources course at the university of Toronto. Following that, she accepted a position at TRCA, Toronto Region Conservation Authority, and spent the happiest 14 years of her working life in an environment that nurtured her lively, creative, and generous spirit. Her friendships at TRCA lasted after her retirement in 2015. Catherine loved life, laughs and The Party Shop. She loved a chunky Chardonnay, great cheese and her and Anthony’s cottage and dear neighbors at Buck Lake. She was a quick wit and always had a hug and smile for the world. One of her greatest joys in the last year was her grand-niece Eira, a charming little girl who stole her heart with mushy kisses. Catherine and Anthony travelled the world, enjoying great museums, sights and adventures. In every aspect of her life, she was kind and generous. Anthony and Catherine’s family wish to extend their heartfelt thanks to the caring staff at Humber River Hospital both in the Cancer Care Clinic and the 13th floor, as well as her physicians Drs. Wilson and Dr. Sagman. Also, many thanks to the palliative team who assisted Catherine and Anthony in the last week, providing excellent care and support. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, March 17th at 11:30 a.m. in Mount Pleasant Funeral Centre- 375 Mount Pleasant Road. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society, Toronto Region Conservation Authority or a charity of your choice. For online condolences please visit www.etouch.ca.