Catherine Jane Lees
Thursday
15
December

Memorial Visitation at Funeral Home

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Thursday, December 15, 2022
Allison Funeral Home
103 Mill Street North
Port Hope, Ontario, Canada
Saturday
17
December

Memorial Service

11:00 am
Saturday, December 17, 2022
St. John The Evangelist Anglican Church
33 Pine Street North
Port Hope, Ontario, Canada

Obituary of Catherine Jane Lees

Catherine Jane Lees, December 4, 1954 – December 5, 2022 We mourn the passing of Catherine Lees a free spirit who lived life without boundaries. Born in Port Hope to Kenneth and Joyce Lees, sister to Richard Lees (Michele Dotey), aunt to Parker Lees, partner to Stephen Wright and Stephen's daughters Jennifer (Joe) and Lisa, and nanny to Jennifer's children Donald and Jonathan. After graduation from Port Hope High School, Cathy travelled in Europe for 6 months with her friend Pauline on a trip that provided memories and stories for a lifetime. The European trip was the leap she wanted out of growing up in a small town and was a formative learning experience, in many ways more important to her than formal schooling, which established her love of travel. Returning from Europe, she attended Waterloo University and completed a BA. Cathy became a social worker and her first jobs were in Belleville and then Picton which she grew to love. Cathy moved to Toronto where she worked and continued further university study until 1988. Returning to Port Hope in 1988, Cathy bought her house on Princess St which she worked tirelessly to restore. 36 Princess became the center point of many parties and social occasions for 34 years. With a constant thirst for learning, Cathy moved to Ottawa and attended Carleton University in 1996-97 earning a masters degree in social work. She then returned to Port Hope and finished her social work career working for the ministry of health in Whitby. Cathy loved meeting and connecting with people and excelled at bringing friends together for social occasions of all kinds. She had a natural ability to reach out and welcome new people to her world thereby always adding to her circle of friends. She was a long-time member of the Canadian Federation of University Women, West Northumberland Curling Club and St John's Port Hope. Throughout life, Cathy spent her summers cottaging on Lake Kasshabog and enjoying time with friends and family. She loved to kayak on the lake with Steve or, more often, organize many girl friends to go out for a paddle and chat with her. Cathy embodied joie de vivre living life passionately and to the max. Our gratitude to Dr Chang and Dr Mulé and the nursing staff at NHH and Ed's House Northumberland Hospice for your great care of Catherine. Friends will be received at the Allison Funeral Home, 103 Mill Street North, Port Hope, Thursday December 15, 2022 from 6 to 8 pm. Funeral Service 11 am Saturday December 17 at St. John's Anglican Church, 33 Pine Street North, Port Hope. Private Spring Interment, Port Hope Union Cemetery. Remembrances and donations to Ed's House Northumberland Hospice or St John's Anglican Church, Port Hope. www.allisonfuneralhome.com
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