Obituary of Catherine Ruthe Spencer

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of our mother, Catherine Spencer. After a lengthy illness, she is now resting peacefully and has rejoined her much loved family who passed before her. She is survived by her brother Robin (Lee); daughters Jennifer (Stu) and Jocelyn (Matt); and her beloved grandchildren Spencer, Piper, Charlie, and Mara. Mom was very proud of her 35-year career in the airline industry, and made lifelong friends throughout her time there. This career provided her with the opportunity to travel the world, and she took much joy in sharing her adventures with the people she loved. Mom enjoyed the simple things in life. She would never pass up a game of cards, bingo, a trivia contest, going to the casino, shopping, attending a good party, watching a tear-jerker, chatting about the newest drama on CNN, consuming mass amounts of chocolate, or enjoying a hot cappuccino. She also had a passion for home décor, fashion and art. “Chatty Cathy” loved to socialize. She took a genuine interest in her friends’ lives and her inquisitiveness, kindness and caring attitude attracted new friends from all walks of life. It always made us smile when mom would tell us stories about random people she’d crossed paths with, or strangers that she welcomed into her life as friends. She shone as a grandmother. Her grandkids were always the light of her life. She enjoyed getting silly and playing with them for hours, and would brag about them constantly to anyone who would listen. When she became ill, she expressed that her greatest disappointment would be missing out on watching her grandchildren grow up. As we say goodbye, we would like to thank the many people who have contributed to mom’s happiness over the years. Her lifelong friends June, Chris, Kim, and Debbie meant so much to her. She also had the daily support of her “guardian angel” Adele, who’s love, care and friendship was invaluable. Throughout her life, her ex-husband Bruno continued to hold a special place in our mom’s heart – he loved to tease her and always knew how to make her smile. We will forever be grateful to the amazing staff at Riverview Health Centre 2 East for the exceptional care she received in her final days, and to the staff at the Portsmouth for their kindness and support over the last few years. Mom, we take comfort in knowing that you are sitting around that big dining room table in the sky. Someone is dealing the next hand in a card game while you sip a hot cappuccino, crack open that next Aero bar, and enjoy a cigarette. We love you, will miss you, and will see you again. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Winnipeg Humane Society in mom’s name, as she always had a love of pets.