Obituary of Catherine L. Happel

On January 14, 2017, Catherine (Cathy) was called home and transformed into the angel she was. Cathy is survived by her children David, Charles, Amanda, Christopher and Ryan. She was the beloved daughter to John and Catherine Baker (deceased), and dedicated sister to Donna, Margie and Carol. She is also survived by her former husband Charles. Cathy was one of the most selfless persons on the planet. As a young mother, she was steadfast, proud and strong and fiercely independent. She asked nothing of anyone but gave freely and willingly. When things got hard she'd smile through the pain and always made ends meet. As a single mother, she loved, raised and supported five children. She went to school at night and achieved a Baccalaureate Degree and Applications Specialist for the largest law firm on Long Island. As money and time became manageable, Cathy joined charities every year to give presents to homeless children. She worked diligently to make sure that every child got the toy they requested regardless of how much time it took to locate it. The joy of making these wishes come true was all Cathy ever wanted for Christmas. She was the least materialistic person on the planet. Later, Cathy volunteered at Horse Ability to improve communication skills for children living with autism. She volunteered with Girl Scouts. She had a particular weak spot for those who had nothing. She took on other people's pains just because she could not stand to see anyone hurting. She was pure light, strength and compassion. Cathy had a 15 month fight against breast cancer, which she had been diagnosed with around her 50th birthday in November of 2015. She fought valiantly against a monster named Triple Negative Breast Cancer. She fought regardless of the odds because she believed until the moment of her death that "Life is worth fighting for." If anyone can remember anything from this, please remember that "Where there is life there is hope and it is always worth fighting for."