Evans, Catherine Louise – On August 27, 2022, our hearts were broken with the loss of our beautiful Catherine Louise (Landry) Evans at age 53 after a 7 ½ year battle with cancer.
She left behind her husband, Peter Evans; mother, Christine Landry (Dodsworth); father, Al Landry (Elaine); brothers, Michael and his son Christopher W. and Christopher (Leilani) and his daughter Marlina, also numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends.
She was predeceased by her grandparents, Bill and Eunice Dodsworth; Oscar and Lillian Landry; aunt, Millie MacLeod; and uncles, Peter and Roger Dodsworth.
Born in Santa Monica, California, she later moved to Nova Scotia, then onto England. She met wonderful people in Leamington Spa and Warwick and made some incredible friends at her workplace at Message Pad. Here, she met the love of her life, Pete. They were married in Belize on March 20, 2008, and permanently settled in Nova Scotia in the November of that year.
Always innovative and creative, Cathy and her husband started the renovation of rental properties that they had purchased. Cathy could handle any job and any power tool. She was particularly talented at dry wall and her crowning glory was a professional rounded wall. She once said that she should have been a carpenter, but Cathy was so talented that she could have been anything. Eventually, they decided to move on from owning rental properties, and farming became their new adventure.
Moving from Truro to a beautiful hobby farm in Great Village, Cathy and her husband began to raise sheep. In the past, Cathy had spent many summers in Great Village with her grandparents; cousins, Lynn and Vince; and Uncle Peter and Aunt Pat.
With no knowledge or experience in raising sheep, Cathy, together with her mother, attended classes at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro. Her mother was to be educated as a sheep babysitter. Never ones to sit idle, Cathy and Pete purchased eight sheep before the course was completed and it will come as no surprise that the next thing that Cathy said was, “What do we do now?” What started as a small sheep farm expanded quickly to raising chickens, turkeys and pigs. Cathy learned on the job skills, such as lambing, building fences and chicken coops and how to protect animals from wild predators.
During this time, Cathy was diagnosed with cancer. That devastating diagnosis did not stop Cathy in her pursuits. Unfortunately, most of the animals had to move on, but now Cathy began painting, taking lessons from several artists, including locals, Leonard Paul and Joy Laking. She also started rug hooking, felting, weaving and famously rekindled her interest in knitting.
Always looking to make things beautiful and memorable, Cathy and Pete planted a lovely flower garden with flowers given to her by her aunt, Katherine. Cathy created so many things; she made beautiful paintings, amazing, felted pictures, and an incredible sweater that she knitted while receiving chemo that took more than two years to knit.
A lover of dogs, especially German Shepherds, she raised many. The latest addition Gizmo was only recently welcomed into the household. Cathy designed his fenced enclosure, that Pete built under her watchful supervision. Cathy also befriended the crows, who would even walk up to their door with their mouths open hoping for a fresh egg.
While receiving cancer treatment, she was supported by Dr. Rowe, Julia and the wonderful team of chemo nurses at Truro hospital. They all kept her spirits up and, in many cases became more like friends. They, and especially Dr. Rowe fought for her right to the end. The Palliative Care unit was the last place of Cathy’s journey and the dedicated team of doctors and nurses helped control Cathy’s pain and reassure and support her family. Visits, phone calls and well wishes from the Landry family, Dodsworth family and her close friends were appreciated beyond words. Your caring words and hugs made this time much more bearable. Thank you everyone, family, friends, nurses and doctors at both Truro and the QEII in supporting Cathy through her final days.
Cathy was adamant that people should make charitable donations, rather than buying flowers and if you wish to make a donation, the hospital that treated her throughout her illness has a donations button at the top right hand corner of their website at CEHHCfoundation.ca, or please feel free to donate to a charity of your choice.
An informal gathering of family and friends will be held on Sunday September 4th at 408 Lornevale Road, Great Village between 1pm and 5pm, hosted by Lynn Dodsworth-Lush and Mark Murphy. All are welcome.
A message of condolence for the family may be left by posting your comment as a guest in the area below.
