Mary Catherine (Cathy) Tilzey
Cathy passed away on Tuesday, November 10, 2015, at Touchmark in Helena, Mont., where she had resided for several years. She battled Alzheimer’s disease for five years, but was well cared for by the staff at Touchmark’s Garnet neighborhood.
Cathy was born in Glasgow, Mont., on January 9, 1946, and was the sixth child of a large family. She had three brothers, four sisters, twenty-four nieces and nephews, twenty-five great-nieces and -nephews and three great-grands. Her Irish great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers were Montana pioneers, and Cathy, who was very interested in Montana history, was a member of the Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers and the Montana Historical Society.
Cathy’s father was a civil engineer whose job took the family from Missoula to Helena, then onwards to Boise (Idaho), San Mateo (Calif.) and finally Tempe (Ariz.). Cathy started her career in journalism at Borah High School (Boise) as co-editor of the Borah Senator. After graduating in 1964, she initially attended the University of Idaho (Moscow); however, she completed her degree in journalism at San Jose State University (Calif.). After college, she worked for two newspapers in Arizona, the Mesa Tribune and the Sun City News, before moving back to Helena. Here she worked as the assistant editor and circulation manager of the Montana Catholic newspaper for 28 years, retiring in 2011. While at the Montana Catholic, Cathy traveled to Ireland and Jamaica for the paper and wrote articles about her travels.
Cathy played the clarinet in high school, studied French and later some Spanish. Her hobbies included skiing, horseback riding in the Arizona desert, and collecting Star Trek and Star Wars memorabilia. She could not wait for the movies to come out. Her collection included figurines, posters, books, plates and movies on DVD.
Cathy was a devote Roman Catholic, and for many years served as a reader at Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Helena. Her great-grandfather helped build the Saint John the Evangelist Catholic mission in Boulder valley where she spent many Memorial Days with family at Mass, and afterwards visited the graves of her forefathers.
Cathy always enjoyed reading, especially mysteries, science fiction and the newspaper. Her favorite pastime was reading the newspaper with a blue pencil in hand to correct the errors she found and, of course, doing the crossword puzzles. She was a wonderful photographer and, in additon to snapping hundreds of pictures at family gatherings, photographed churches and happenings in western Montana for the newspaper.
Cathy was preceded in death by her father Harold C. Tilzey in 1981, her mother Clare McCauley Tilzey Maierle in 2007, and her sister Theresa “Sally” Jungers in 1996. She is survived by three brothers: Harold Tilzey (Linda), Atlanta, Ga.; Edward Tilzey (Jann), Sparks, Nev.; and James Tilzey, Sequim, Wash. In addition, she is survived by three sisters: Faye Logan, Helena, Mont.; Patty Hicks (Lee), Aurora, Colo.; and Joyce Keeler, Baku, Azerbaijan. Her many nieces, nephews and cousins will remember her fondly.
Mass will be celebrated at 12:00 pm on Saturday, November 28, 2015 at the Cathedral of Saint Helena., 530 N. Ewing St, Helena, MT. A graveside service will immediately follow the service at Resurrection Cemetery. A reception will follow the graveside service in the social hall at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home, 3750 N. Montana Ave. Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Cathy. In lieu of flowers, memorials should be made in Cathy’s name to the Good Samaritan Store, 3067 Montana Ave, Helena, MT, 59601, God’s Love, 533 N. Main, Helena, MT, 59601, or to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Service Schedule
Funeral Mass
12:00 p.m.
Saturday November 28, 2015
Cathedral of St. Helena
530 N Ewing St
Helena , Montana 59601
Graveside Service
Following Mass
Saturday November 28, 2015
Resurrection Cemetery
3700 North Montana
Helena , Montana 59601
Reception
Following Graveside Service
Saturday November 28, 2015
Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana
Helena , Montana 59602
Service Schedule
Funeral Mass
12:00 p.m.
Saturday November 28, 2015
Cathedral of St. Helena
530 N Ewing St
Helena , Montana 59601
Graveside Service
Following Mass
Saturday November 28, 2015
Resurrection Cemetery
3700 North Montana
Helena , Montana 59601
Reception
Following Graveside Service
Saturday November 28, 2015
Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana
Helena , Montana 59602
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Gerald Korson says
I worked with Cathy for several years producing The Montana Catholic for the Diocese of Helena. She was very dedicated to her work and to her Catholic faith. She also loved her family very much and spoke of them often. I recall how she would travel far and wide across the country to attend the graduations and weddings of distant cousins. She remained with the diocese for a number of years after I left Montana, and I was saddened to learn of her declining health in recent years. I am sure this good soul will reap eternal rewards for her enduring faithfulness in life.
Donna (Kralicek-Johnston) Link says
Dear Family Members of Cathy,
I was so surprised to see that you lost your dear sister. I worked with Cathy at the Diocese of Helena for 11.5 years and enjoyed visiting with her about her adventures. She was so knowledgeable about the history of so many places, lands and people. I always thought of her as a “walking encyclopedia” when it came to events that happened many years ago.
She had a quiet spirit and yet I knew that she was a person who was processing everything around her. You were right about her dedication to her work – I marveled at her devotion to events and photographs that she was assigned to take on. I will miss her.
I will keep you all in my prayers and will add Cathy to the “holy souls” who I pray for. She blessed my life and I am thankful she and I crossed paths.
May she rest in peace and may you all have God’s grace to walk this journey of loss.
Respectfully Submitted, Donna