Catherine Devine Lea
BRECKENRIDGE, CO – Catherine Devine Lea, 67, died on September 17, 2021 of complications from Lewy body disease.
Cath was born in the old St. Joseph Hospital (Chippewa Falls, WI), grew up below the hill on W. Spruce Street, attended Chestnut School, Old Middle School and New Chi-Hi. She then went to Carleton College and graduated with honors in her major (psychology) in 1976.
She married the love of her life, Bob Lea, in 1978 – the celebration at the wedding reception (at the old Elks Club) was so epic it’s still talked about today. Five years later, she and Bob moved to Chippewa Falls, the town she loved, to raise a family.
After college, Cath worked for Northwest Airlines and got to see the world. When her children grew up, Cath worked for the Chippewa Falls School System as a Community Resource Coordinator for 15 years, retiring in 2016. She especially enjoyed her job helping coordinate the fourth grade school program with ” The Past Passed Here “. . She has been active in many community organizations including the YMCA, the Cook Rutledge Mansion, the Museum of Industry and Technology, and PEO.
Working for the airlines sparked a love of travel in Cath, allowing her to see Europe, Asia and New Zealand. She especially enjoyed adventure travel that challenged her physically and connected her to nature: hiking to Maachu Pichu, hiking the “Half Dome†in Yosemite National Park, hiking and rafting in the Grand Canyon and hike in beautiful “Angel’s Landing” in Zion National Park.
Cath learned to ski at the age of five, progressing from Pinehurst to Deep Woods, Hardscrabble and Telemark, developing her remarkable skiing skills, and then eventually honing them in her beloved Colorado. She loved teaching her children Matt, Marty and Marian to ski and they quickly made their way to the hills of upper Michigan and Minnesota. When the kids were old enough, the mountains called. These Colorado ski trips with family and friends deepened Cath and her family’s passion for skiing.
Cath and Bob were able to live their dream of spending the last four winters in Colorado trying to ski 100 days in a row. In addition, Cath enjoyed running, biking, rollerblading (5 marathons), water skiing and hiking. And, for 14 years, you might find her faithfully exploring the West Hill with the loyal and adventurous family dog, Malcolm.
This shy little girl has grown into a strong, courageous and adventurous woman. Cath was determined to live her life on her own terms and not let Lewy Body Disease define who she was. And she did – approaching each day with courage, determination and determination.
Let your final image of Cath be of her standing on her skis, on top of a mountain, looking over the edge of a black diamond double head wall, saying “I’m scared”, then pointing. his skis down and jumping. This is how she lived her life – allowing herself to be recognized by fear and moving forward courageously in spite of herself.
Cath is predeceased by her parents: W. Thomas and Ellen Devine. She is survived by her husband, Robert; sons: Matthew Lea, Martin (Tom Hogle) Lea; daughter, Marian Lea; brother, Thomas (Jane) Devine; sister, Megan (Quentin Reimer) Devine; Aunt Virginia (née Devine) Buhler and other wonderful cousins ​​and parents she loved.
A family funeral service will be held at Forest Hills Cemetery on October 7, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. A celebration of Cath’s life will follow on October 7 at noon at the Heyde Center in Chippewa Falls, WI.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Heyde Center for the Arts in honor of Catherine Devine Lea are appreciated.
Published by The Chippewa Herald on September 21, 2021.
