Catherine (Gilbert) Blane

Think of me from time to time... and smile.

Obituary

Catherine (Gilbert) Blane | November 1941 to August 2026

A night owl to the end, Cathy passed away peacefully in the early hours of Monday, August 3, 2026.

Born and raised in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, Catherine (as she was known in childhood) was fiercely proud of her hometown and the role her ancestors and family played in its development. Later, the family moved to Halifax, where she attended Cornwallis Junior High School and became Cathy when a teacher insisted. She hated it, but it stuck, and Cathy it was. Next, she attended *the* Queen Elizabeth High School, a school which would become an integral part of her family’s life.

Cathy then attended the Nova Scotia Normal College (soon to be known as the Teachers College), where she earned her teaching certification. After teaching for two years at Black Point School, Cathy embarked on a life-changing assignment in Goose Bay, Labrador, where she met Bob, her husband and partner of 64 years.

In Goose, Cathy and Bob made lifelong friends and memories before spending an eventful year in New Carlisle, Quebec. Escaping the six-foot snowbanks, they made their way back to Halifax in time for the birth of their daughter, Stacey.

In 1971, they purchased a home in Colby Village, where they welcomed Stephen a few years later. For 24 years, Bob would commute in to teach at QE while Cathy volunteered at Colby Village Elementary - in the library and at nearly every school event.

She was a master chauffeur, taking both kids to whatever event, club or activity they needed to attend. Cathy also loved Christmas, starting with Christmas Eve at Marg’s and then the house in Colby would regularly be full of guests for the big dinner on Christmas Day while she wore a smile and a Christmas sweater.

Over the years, Cathy also became an avid fan of mediocre baseball and hockey - or whatever other sport Stephen happened to be playing. It wasn’t until 2001, during the first inning of an extra-inning Blue Jays game at the SkyDome, that she confessed she actually hated both sports. But she never missed a game Stephen played.

In the early ’80s, Cathy and Bob bought a cottage property in Malagash Mine that became a passion project for them both. For the first 15 years, the “cottage” was a travel trailer and small bunkhouse, but that didn’t stop them from regularly hosting visitors for weekends of campfires, endless games of UNO, Yahtzee and Trouble, highlighted by Ed’s deck-side pancakes.

When Bob retired from QE in 1994, Cathy and Bob took on a new challenge, becoming managers of the Esquire Motel on the Bedford Highway. They took a struggling business and turned it around with their hospitality and care for their regulars - Gayle and family among them. Cathy took particular pride in the Esquire being deemed the cleanest motel in Nova Scotia by Canada Select, which used it to train inspectors on cleanliness. When Hurricane Juan and White Juan left guests stranded, Cathy opened the freezer so she and Bob could feed those in need.

But Malagash remained a special place. Summers were spent tending the property, enjoying the views and walking the beach until Cathy was no longer able. She loved crocheting, making strawberry jam and feeding the hummingbirds, delighting in their return each spring. This year, even when Cathy was no longer able to put out their food, one hummingbird kept returning to the kitchen window.

While fond of cats in her youth, Cathy grew to love dogs, especially dachshunds, starting with Andy. Well no one really liked Andy, so the love really started with Cleo and continued through Schöne and Lucie - and Stephen’s dog, Maddie.
In her later years, as hearing loss made staying connected more difficult, Cathy often spoke fondly of the friends who had been important throughout her life. Dear friends like Marg, Bob and Jean, Bill and Cathy, Irene and daughter Andrea (and her two boys), as well as Lorraine, Linda and David. She had a special spot in her heart for Ed and his daughter Rae, as well as Joe, an immense support to Cathy and Bob over the last several years in Malagash.

Cathy is survived by her husband Bob, her daughter Stacey (Dave), and son Stephen (Claire), as well as one granddaughter, four grandsons, a niece, and a nephew. She was predeceased by her parents, Alfred and Lavinia, and her sister Audrey.

The family would like to say a special thank you to the wonderful, caring staff at the North Cumberland Health Care Centre in Pugwash. The team there took wonderful care of Cathy - and of Bob and Stephen - in her final days, allowing her to pass with dignity, in peace and in comfort.

A private family ceremony will be held.

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