Catherine "Cathy" Lund Goslee Vaughn

On May 24th, Catherine (Cathy) Lund Goslee Vaughn slipped peacefully away to her heavenly reward. Cathy suffered the slow loss of self that Alzheimer’s brings but for more than ten years was happy, pain-free and unaware of the deterioration she was enduring. Though unable to speak for several years, Cathy was loved by all who came into her presence.

Cathy moved from her home in Crowley, LA to attend Loyola University. She held a number of leadership positions there in various service, student government and social society positions. She was President of Theta Alpha Phi and her sisters were faithful friends, providing comfort and support to the end.

Following graduation, Cathy worked in Lawton, Oklahoma while her husband Charlie was stationed there and, returning to New Orleans, began her career in the Jefferson Parish Public School System. She taught at Green Park, became a Curriculum Coordinator, then moved into the Central Office where she held a number of increasingly responsible positions until retirement as Director of Business, Community, Employee and Legislative Relations. During her tenure there Cathy mentored many talented teachers and administrators. This created forever friendships who regularly visited her and inquired about her condition. She will be sadly missed by them.

During her career there she continued pursuing her professional growth, completing a master’s degree plus 30. For the perfect 4.0 grade point average she maintained in that program, she received the Outstanding Graduate Award. She was named the 1993 Louisiana Outstanding Educator of the Year by the Louisiana Association of School Executives. Cathy was twice selected as a Fulbright-Hays fellow, each time allowing her to study for six weeks in the People's Republic of China where she also assisted in improving educational opportunities for the Chinese students.

Cathy loved to travel and visited Australia, Russia, Honduras (where she had family), Cameroon, Nigeria, France, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Morocco, Portugal, Italy, Tahiti and many other places. She would travel by air, cruise ship or vehicle. She would go with friends, family or colleagues. Her bag was always packed she used to say when a trip was in discussion.

After retiring from JPPSS, Cathy worked at Baptist Community Ministries as Educational Grants Program Director where she focused on helping educational programs improve their results. She served as the lead staff contact on Board-designated special task forces in education.

Cathy’s community engagement continued, and she was named a Young Leadership Council Role Model. She was a founding member, along with Kim Sport, Kathy Johnson, Cindy Enright and Beth Rosas, of Jefferson Dollars for Scholars. She served on that Board and gala committee for many years. Cathy was the longest serving member of the American Petroleum Institute (Delta Chapter) Board where she chaired the Education Committee. Under Cathy’s guidance, the API board gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to exceptional area teachers. Cathy was on the board of Each One Save One, founded by Cathy Harris and Sally Ann Roberts, and was instrumental in its early success. She appeared on numerous television shows supporting educational causes and organizations.

Cathy is survived by her husband, Bob, his three adult children, Erin (Roger), Robby (Christiann) and Zach (Morgan), eight grandchildren and Ms. Bobbie Foster, her friend and loving caregiver. She is also survived by her sister Karen (Leonard) and their children and grandchildren. Visitation will be at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, on Thursday May 30 from 9 to noon. A Mass will be held in the chapel at noon and internment will be in the Lund tomb in Metairie Cemetery, a short walk from the chapel. A Celebration of Cathy’s Life will begin at 2:30 at the Holiday Inn, 2261 N. Causeway Blvd in Metairie. The family has established The Cathy Vaughn Scholarship Fund at Jefferson Dollars for Scholars for memorial contributions. Cathy was a founding and devoted board member of this organization. [www.Jefferson.DollarsforScholars.org or Jefferson Dollars for Scholars, 3100 Ridgelake Drive, Suite 206, Metairie LA 70002].