Catherine Lord

Catherine (O’Donovan) Lord, 89, of the Upper West Side of Manhattan, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, April 19, 2020 after a long illness. Born in Dunmanway, County Cork, Ireland, she emigrated to the US in 1952 where she was welcomed by family already in NYC. Catherine quickly became a proud New Yorker who loved her adopted country, particularly the Upper West Side.

Catherine was known as Cathy to countless neighbors and friends, including the many she came to know through her active involvement with Blessed Sacrament Parish and Holy Trinity Church. Since the mid 1960s, she owned and managed a small real estate business, often developing life-long connections with the residents who lived in her buildings, many of them new arrivals pursuing their dreams in New York. She was a kind and thoughtful employer that inspired her employees to work with her for decades.

Whenever possible Cathy rode her humble 3 speed bicycle around the city. Whether on errands delivering soda breads to loved ones or for simple enjoyment of Central Park and Riverside Park, she loved the feeling of freedom and movement being on her bike.

Cathy is survived by her husband, Philip; her children Christopher (Christine) of Portland, OR, Gregory (Amy) of NYC, Barbara (Dev) of Baltimore, MD; her grandchildren Andrew, Emilia, Ajay, Ananda, Keeran, Kamran, and Anjuli; her brother Dennis of Dunmanway, Ireland; many nieces, especially Ann, Eileen, Laura, Colleen, and Debbie, nephews, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Daniel and Hannah, brothers Michael and Patrick, sister Eileen, and grandson David.

Cathy loved her grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins with endless and unconditional love. She is an inspiration to us all on how to love and appreciate the simple things in life. Cathy’s Roman Catholic faith sustained her throughout her life, and in due time a memorial mass will be planned to celebrate and honor her. In the interim, the family suggests joining a live-streamed daily mass in honor of Cathy, or saying a rosary for her and her family. She will be laid to rest at Mount Calvary Cemetery in White Plains, NY.

We’ve lost a good woman, New Yorker, immigrant, storyteller, singer, landlord, Catholic and bicyclist.

The family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to her dedicated team of care providers especially Dr. Jonathan Ripp of Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors and the team at Calvary at Home Hospice especially Ryan Loughlin and her nurse Brandi. We owe a special debt of gratitude to her devoted home aides Elaine, Kaneisha, Marcia, and Michelle.

Memorial donations would be gratefully appreciated and can be made in Cathy’s honor to the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors, or Calvary Hospital.