Catherine Durst

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Catherine Durst (nee Potter) , who died peacefully at home, surrounded by her children, on July 4, 2020, at the age of 79.  Beloved wife of 59 years to the late Larry Durst.  Loving mother, doting grandmother, sister-in-law, aunt and friend, Cathy leaves behind her children Kim (Mark), Lisa (Rob) and Ted (Demar); grandchildren Caroline (Jake), Greg, Scott, Daniel and Erin ; brothers-in-law Wayne and Mike; nieces Robin, Sara Jo, and Alison and nephew Matthew and their families; along with many cherished friends.  Predeceased by her husband Larry,  parents Gordon and Doris Potter, brother Ronald, and sisters-in-law Linda Jane and Suzanne.
Cathy grew up in Gananoque, Ontario, married her high school sweetheart at age 18 and began her adventure as the wife of a banker, who moved to new assignments around the province every few years.  By the age of 24, Cathy was the mother of three and had moved cities four times in six years.The family made their sixth and final move in 1973, to Ottawa, where Cathy started working for the Bank of Montreal, from which she retired after 29 years of service in 2002. After retirement, Cathy and Larry enjoyed travelling across North America and Europe and wintered for a number of years in Destin, Florida and Galveston, Texas.  They enjoyed many activities, including golf and curling and were active members of PROBUS and the West End Duffers.  Cathy was also a longtime member of Bells Corners United Church and the second unit of the UCW.  She enjoyed many activities with her UCW friends, including making pies and gift baskets for the church bazaars.  Cathy was energetic and enjoyed reading and crosswords, spending time with family, grandchildren and friends, cheering on the Sens and the Redblacks and playing a good game of Texas Canasta.
Cathy will be remembered for her strong, independent spirit, positive attitude and her dedication to her family and friends.  She made the world's best pie crust, pinwheels and brownies and shared her love of baking with her children and grandchildren. Mom/Nanny was our unofficial family photographer and was always ready with her camera - something that we teased her about along the way, but now greatly appreciate, as we are left with a wealth of photos documenting our activities and milestone events.  In particular, her grandchildren will treasure their memories of many summer trips with Nanny and Grampie to local attractions such as go-carting, the Hershey factory, the Diefenbunker and other museums, and the entire family will miss her participation in our annual cottage weekends.  Cathy will be fondly remembered and sorely missed by all those who knew and loved her.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to her Cancer Care team and in particular to the Palliative Care team of doctors, nurses and PSW's who provided such wonderful support in the last few months of her life.
A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.  For those who wish, a memorial donation to Bells Corners United Church, or the Gananoque Historical Society would be greatly appreciated.