On August 7th 2009, Catherine Conklin Thompson died at the age of 70 from complications of recent strokes. Formally of Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, she had recently been living at The Villages in Florida. She graduated from Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas, and attended Texas Tech University.

At the age of 43, Catherine returned to college at Seton Hill College where she was granted a B.A. in Psychology in 1983. She then went on to earn a Master of Social Work degree (1985) and a Ph.D. (1988) in Counseling Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. Catherine formed and successfully ran her own company Sterling Care Counseling for a number of years. She was a certified Geriatric Care Manager, serving on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers for several years.

She retired to The Villages in Florida where she enjoyed playing golf, competing in bridge, and participating in numerous other activities. Throughout her life Catherine enjoyed raising and showing dogs producing several champions, including one inducted into the Golden Retriever Hall of Fame.

Catherine became an avid traveler when, at the age of 17, she went around the world on a cruise ship with her grandmother. Later in life, as her grandchildren began to reach the age of 12, she took each on a cruise of his or her choice, visiting such places as Alaska, Australia, Japan and the Mediterranean. She delighted in these trips, had many fond memories of them, and looked forward to future trips when her younger grandchildren would reach 12.

She is survived by her daughter Susan (“Trudi”) Gertrude Thompson Krick, three sons William O'Brien Thompson, Daniel Edwin Thompson, and Charles David Thompson, son-in-law Kevin Krick, daughters-in-law Kathleen Thompson, Julie Thompson, and Pamela Thompson, eleven grandchildren (Andrew and Sarah Krick, Zachary, Conor, Kristen, Samuel, Claire, Eleanor, Maxwell, James, and William Thompson, sister Lydia Clothier Conklin Cohen and Catherine's former husband James Edwin Thompson. She was preceded in death by her father William Robert Conklin, mother Lydia Maxwell Conklin and brother John William Conklin.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church (Bryn Mawr, PA) on Tuesday the 11th of August. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Living Hope Mission (www.livinghopemission.org),or North Star Youth Outreach (www.nsyo.org). The Heintzelman Funeral Home, Inc., Schnecksville, is in charge of arrangements.