Catherine Mary Zuck

Cathy was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1951 and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1952. Twelve years later, she moved to Saskatoon. She attended Holy Cross High School and then the University of Saskatchewan (U of S). She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1973. After working as a legal assistant in Vancouver and Calgary, she returned to the U of S and earned a Juris Doctor in law in 1978. She received her King’s Counsel designation recognizing her contributions to the legal profession and public service in 2005. Cathy also served as one of the first woman Benchers of the Law Society of Saskatchewan.

Cathy was an accomplished lawyer for more than 30 years and specialized in labour law for most of her practice. She worked in private practice for more than decade before becoming a staff lawyer for the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses for more than 15 years.

She was skilled arbitrator, mediator, labour law educator and workplace incident investigator and she was working on cases until she was hospitalized in July.

Teaching was a passion, and she has lectured law at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law, Native Law School and the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences.

In addition to her numerous professional achievements, she had many diverse talents. Cathy was renowned for her gourmet meals that were delicious and enjoyed by family and friends. She was skilled seamstress and needlepoint artist. She made inspired baby outfits for her niece and nephew and gave the family beautifully intricate pieces of needlepoint to commemorate special occasions. She was a master gardener – her yard was a work of art each summer and we loved sitting on the deck to admire her handiwork.

She was an accomplished pianist, avid reader, talented vocalist and loved live theatre and movies. We enjoyed her insightful and often funny critiques of any of the arts – particularly if it was something that was not to her liking.

She was a devoted golfer and especially loved the social aspects of walking the course and chatting with her buddies.

She shared her passion for music by teaching piano to students in the core area schools. She was preparing to teach reading to those who needed help.

Cathy was a super auntie to her niece and nephew. They were treated to excursions to the zoo, parks, the Exhibition, swimming, and all the fun kid places. Together they would create pizzas, bake cookies, and play games. They loved spending time with their Auntie Cathy.

Cathy was a tenacious warrior. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2002 and successfully battled it. But her immune system was compromised from the treatments and her condition complicated by colitis. She would experience a host of other medical challenges including the cancer returning and slowly growing during the years that followed. And she always faced these challenges with grace and determination. She never complained and always lived life to the fullest.

Even with her health challenges, she continued to travel the globe with Jack. She loved experiencing new cultures and sampling all the different types of cuisine. She would research each place thoroughly and as a result each trip would become a wonderful new memory.

Cathy was a strong person with definite views, which often resulted in lively discussions around the dinner table. She projected an outward toughness sometimes with a sharp wit. Underneath that tough exterior was a kind, loving heart…one that would drop everything to help someone in need.

We were deeply saddened when she was hospitalized in July for issues related to her colitis, immune deficiency and cancer. After surgery in August, her recovery was hampered by a variety of complications. She valiantly fought each complication but there were just too many of them to defeat. Her indomitable spirit will remain in our hearts forever.

Cathy is predeceased by her brother Peter, her mother Vera (who passed away when Cathy was just six years old), her father Donald and her second mom Elma.

She will be greatly missed by her loving husband Jack Manning, her brother Tony (Alice) and nephew and niece Joe and Emma, her sister-in-law Jennifer and her son Alyre (McKayla), her aunties Julie, Joyce, and Sally, Jack’s nieces Leanne and Angela (and their families), numerous cousins, and many friends. Of course, her pup Rex, who adored her, is missing his mom too.

A big thank you to nurses and doctors at St. Paul’s Hospital and Royal University Hospital. Your care and attention for Cathy during her stay at both are much appreciated.

In lieu of flowers, please kindly consider donating to a local charity of your choice.

A Celebration of Cathy’s Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 25, 2023 at The Saskatoon Club (417 21st Street East, Saskatoon).

Arrangements entrusted to Travis Minor