Catherine "Cay" Jones McLaughlin

Catherine Jones Mclaughlin was born on April 14, 1927 in the Bronx, NY and transitioned peacefully on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 at the Hospice Home in Burlington, NC.  Her beloved parents, Arthur and Josephine Jones passed away many years ago.  She was predeceased in 2009 by her loving husband, Robert McLaughlin, after 58 years of marriage.

Cay leaves behind her only child, Patricia and her husband, Thomas C. Ernest of Graham, NC; her three granddaughters, Kathryn M. Viets and her husband, Chaffee W. Viets of Marietta, Georgia, Jennifer M. Dembeck and her husband, Michael R. Dembeck of Spring Lake, NC and Margaret M. Ernest and her fiancée, Paul Johnson of Washington, DC. Cay was blessed with two great grandsons, Nicholas W. “Liam” and Colin R. Viets and a great granddaughter, Isabella M. Dembeck.

Cay was raised in Throggs Neck in the Bronx and continued to live there many years with her husband and daughter.  She was actively involved with her church, St. Frances de Chantal, and Girl Scouts for which she earned her 30-year pin.  Cay retired from the New York Public Library after 32 years of dedicated service.  In 1971, she and her family moved to Pelham Manor, NY where she was active with her new parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, as well as The Manor Club, a local women’s group, AARP, and the Garden Club of City Island, NY.  In October 2011, she moved down to Burlington, NC to be close to family.  She enjoyed living at Cedar Ridge Retirement Community and was a regular at many activities including crafts, jewelry making, painting, bingo and musical presentations.

Family was her greatest love.  She enjoyed celebrations and gathering family and friends for parties and formal dinners.  Her creative talents were reflected in her oil paintings, sewing and needlework projects.  Cay enjoyed swimming and bowling.  She and her husband, Bob, enjoyed traveling together to the Caribbean, Ireland and the British Isles, Europe, Scandinavia, Mexico and Panama.  They explored much of our Great Nation including Alaska and Hawaii and spent many happy summer vacations both with family, in Milford, Connecticut, and with longtime friends on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

The family is grateful to the entire staff of the Hospice House for the extraordinary care shown to their loved one.

Memorial donations may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Alamance-Caswell, 914 Chapel Hill Rd., Burlington, NC 27215.

There will be a Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, December 22, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 1620 Hanford Rd., Graham, NC 27253, by Rev. Briant Cullinane, OFM Conv.

A Memorial Mass will be held at a later date at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Pelham Manor, NY by Fr. Matthew Ernest.  Burial will be at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.

Rich & Thompson Funeral Home and Crematory in Graham is assisting the family.

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