YOUR AD HERE »

Vail Daily obituary: Catherine Evans Douglas, 1920-2016

Longtime Vail resident Cathie Douglas passed away peacefully on Oct. 15 surrounded by her family.

Cathie spent her youth in Australia, England and Germany, where her father worked for General Motors. She returned to Birmingham, Michigan, in 1936, graduated Kingwood School Cranbrook and from Bennett College, Millbrook, NY. Married to Morgan in 1942, they were married 70 years.

Cathie’s passions were skiing, golf, gardening and volunteering. She learned to ski in St. Moritz at 10 and skiing was to be a family imperative. In 1963 Cathie and Morgan built their ski home in Vail. She skied in the Masters Ski Program for many years, last racing at 85. On a Vail powder day, Cathie was often the first in line those early years. In her later years she was the matriarch, leading four-generation ski days. Golf was her game. An avid participant in leagues and tournaments, Cathie could always be found enjoying the courses in the valley, especially the Vail Golf Course. Cathie passed on her passion when she taught granddaughter to play golf and then her great-grandsons.

Volunteering was her calling. Betty Ford Gardens, the Vail Hospital and the Vail Chapel were of great importance and she devoted herself to them. Cathie was on the Vail hospital board under Gordon Britton’s presidency, as well as president of the Vail Medical Center Volunteer Corps. Cathie enjoyed planting and maintaining the gardens at the hospital, which she did single-handedly. She also worked the information desk and most recently was a dedicated volunteer in the emergency room. A member of the Episcopal Church since the building of the chapel in 1970, she volunteered on Sundays, assisted in the office and, most recently, participated in the knitting group while making prayer shawls. Never one to miss Sunday services, she could be found in the front row no matter the season or weather. The red scooter was her vehicle of choice for getting to and from church. Zipping around the village on her red scooter, Cathie maintained her need for speed.

Cathie is survived by two children, Mary Ellen Anderson, of Vail and Paonia, and Drex (Debbie), of Edwards; her grandchildren Carey Anderson Rash (Todd), of Vail, Taylor Talmage (Ashley), of Portland, Oregon, Chris Douglas, of Denver and Jeffery Douglas, of Edwards. Her great-grandchildren are Quin and Todger Davis, Cyrus Talmage and Jack and Cate Douglas.

Support Local Journalism

The family will have a private service later this year. Memorial gifts may be made to the Vail Valley Medical Center and Betty Ford Alpine Gardens.


Support Local Journalism