Date of Birth:
Tuesday, February 27, 1945
Date of Death:
Sunday, September 20, 2020
Age:
75 years old

Catherine O’Neill Gosselin

Catherine Gosselin passed away peacefully on September 20, 2020 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.  Born in Rochester, Minnesota, on February 27, 1945 to James and Redempta O’Neill, Cathy was the middle daughter of five children – known as the “Fab Five.”

In 1966, Cathy moved to Washington, DC, where she worked as a fingerprint technician for the FBI. Cathy met Raymond Gosselin at a traffic light. The two dated briefly before the Navy transferred Ray to his next duty station in Bremerhaven, West Germany. Cathy and Ray kept in touch and through their letters and fell in love.  Cathy moved to Germany to marry Ray on October 7, 1967.

Cathy and Ray spent two years in Germany before moving back to the United States. They lived in Rochester and Minneapolis, Minnesota, and then Hoffman Estates, Illinois, before settling in Connecticut. They raised their family and made many lifelong friends while living in Beacon Falls and then Killingworth, Connecticut.  Cathy stayed home and raised their four children until they were older. In her later years, she worked as an account manager for Aetna and United Health Care.  After her retirement, Cathy moved to the Boston area.

A talented seamstress, Cathy was often found behind her sewing machine. She made everything – her wedding dress, clothes for her daughters, blankets and quilts for her grandchildren, and countless doll outfits for delighted children. Sewing pins littered the floor, often rendering it unsafe to walk without shoes. Cathy enjoyed photography and scrapbooking; those lucky enough to receive a scrapbook received a treasure. Cathy loved UCONN basketball (especially the women’s team) and watched every game. If you called during a game, she would call you back. Cathy had tickets for the NCAA championship game in 2016, but her beloved Huskies lost in the national semifinal.  An intrepid traveler, Cathy crisscrossed the United States by car and plane to visit family.  She made several trips to Ireland, her favorite destination.

Cathy is predeceased by her husband of 38 years, Raymond Gosselin, and her grandson, Isaiah Raymond Harris. She is survived by her children- Kristina (Jerry) Kendall; Jason (Nancy) Gosselin; Courtney Gosselin (Michael Berinato); and Patrick (Miranda) Gosselin; her grandchildren- Andrew, Katie, Sarah, Will, Joshua, Zachary, Benjamin, Jack, Thomas, Caroline, Gabe and Wyatt; and her siblings; Jim O’Neill, Jeanne Vale, Dan O’Neill and Dennis O’Neill.

The Wake for Cathy will be held on Friday evening, October 2, 2020 from 5:00pm until 7:00pm in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home. A Private Funeral Mass will occur at a later date. Interment will take place at St. Bridget’s Catholic Cemetery in Simpson, MN. Blessed be her memory.

In lieu of flowers donations are welcome to the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of Catherine Gosselin at act.alz.org.