Catherine Richard

She was born in Boston on August 8,1938 to Joseph and Catherine (Doyle) Whiteside.

She was educated in Boston Schools, graduating Archbishop (Cardinal) Cushing High School and, in 1959, Boston City Hospital (Boston Medical Center). A registered nurse, she worked in many capacities in her career in Massachusetts and Maine.

In 1959, she married Joseph E. Jennings who predeceased her in 1987. They were blessed with five children: Elaine, Laura, Warren, Kenneth, and Karen.

In 1965 they moved to Rumford, Maine. She put her nursing career on "hold" while raising her family. As a family they explored and enjoyed Maine's great outdoors, from boating on many lakes (including Lower Richardson Lake), to fishing, to climbing mountains, to skiing at Black Mountain. She hoped to instill in the children a great appreciation of the outdoors. She felt her greatest achievement in life was raising her children into responsible and loving adults. While the children were young, she enjoyed sewing and knitting clothing for them. She was active in PTA and did volunteer work for the Red Cross.

In 1978 they moved to Plymouth, Maine. When the children were older, she returned to nursing, first in the hospital setting and then as manager of a special care unit.

She continued her education, obtaining certifications in rehab nursing and case management, doing team-based rural home health nursing in Somerset County. While working for a rehab hospital, she travelled throughout the State, promoting rehab as well as assessing clients for rehab services. As a case manager, she worked with clients injured on the job and assisted them to return to work. She was past treasurer of Maine State Rehab Nurses Association.

In 1994, she moved to Belfast to be nearer her daughter. There, in 1997, she married the Reverend Ray Richard. She retired from nursing and returned to volunteerism. She was active in the Abused Women's Advisory Project (Safe Voices). For more than eleven years, she was a Maine Ombudsman, assisting clients in nursing homes with their rights as a resident. She continued helping her husband deliver Meals on Wheels for more than seventeen years.

While her husband was pastor of several churches, she remained active and involved with numerous aspects of church life including serving as a deacon and helping with various outreach activities. She was a volunteer and past board member of LACO (Lisbon Area Christian Outreach).

Catherine is survived by her husband, Ray; her children: Elaine Jennings, Laura (and Joel) Young, Warren (and Debi) Jennings, Kenneth Jennings, Karen (and Thomas) Morelli; six grandchildren: Haulani (and Brian) Sullivan, Zachary Jennings, Reese Jennings, Danielle Jennings, Charlotte Morelli, Rachel Young; two great-grandchildren: Layla and Louis Sullivan; sisters: Ann (and William) Kelly, Jean (and Robert) Capen, Elaine Kees; brother, Thomas (and Margaret) Whiteside; many nieces and nephews; and close friend, Don LaBranche. Catherine was predeceased recently by dear friend, Irene LaBranche.

Funeral Services honoring Catherine’s life will be celebrated on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at 11:00 AM at the Pinette Dillingham & Lynch Funeral Home. Committal services will be held on Friday, February 3, 2023 at 10:00 AM at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery on Mt. Vernon Road in Augusta. Those wishing may make donations in Catherine’s memory to the American Kidney Fund at www.kidneyfund.org . Visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 from 2-4 & 6-8 PM at the Pinette Dillingham & Lynch Funeral Home 305 Alfred A. Plourde Parkway in Lewiston 784-4023. Online condolences and sharing of memories may be expressed at www.lynchbrothers.com .