Catherine Marie Foltz

Catherine Foltz, age 73, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s Disease.

Cathy was born in Superior, WI to Constantine and Mary Carlos, the second of four children. Her early years in northern Wisconsin were filled with love from her vibrant extended family. During her teen years, the family moved to Ladysmith and then Washburn because of her father’s job with Wisconsin Bell and AT&T. She graduated from Washburn High School in 1970 and went on to earn a registered nursing degree from Madison General Hospital School of Nursing. She began her nursing career in Marshfield at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Wausau Medical Center. Her passion for nursing led her to return to school, earning a BS in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin - Madison School of Nursing in 1989. Most of her nursing career was spent at Meriter Hospital in cardiac intermediate care where she exhibited excellence in patient care, setting an example for the numerous nurses she mentored. In her final few years, she transitioned to the Meriter Rehabilitation Center where her skills with patient education continued to shine.

Throughout her life, Cathy included family and friends in her most cherished activities. She loved traveling and the outdoors, spending many weekends among the tall pines in the north woods of Wisconsin. In her later years, she and Tom traded in the pop-up camper for cozy rental cabins around the national parks and quaint hotels on European adventures. Cathy helped organize the women’s ministry at Good Shephard with a lively and warm circle of women and enjoyed decades of volunteering with the mature crowd at the Oakwood Coffee shop. Her circle of close friends who offered each other love and support during the labor-intensive years of child rearing later became the Wednesday park group, which was a source of joy as her Parkinson’s progressed.

Above all, Cathy loved her family. She is survived by her husband Tom, her children Gretchen (Michael Cerminaro), Erik (Jill), and Marcia (Alfredo Ramirez Pinho), and her grandchildren Ben, Anna, Marion, Naomi, Sophia, Sebastian, Giovanni, and Agustin. She is further survived by her brother Jim (Laura) Carlos, sisters-in-law Luanne Carlos and Rita Foltz, and a wide circle of nieces, nephews and dear friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Peter and Mark Carlos.

The family wishes to extend a special thank you to UW Hospital and Clinics (Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery and Internal Medicine) for their compassionate and collaborative care over the years. Additionally, they are beyond grateful for the exceptional care provided by Agrace Hospice supporting the family to fulfill Cathy’s last wish of remaining at home. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to one of these health care organizations or the UW - Madison School of Nursing.

A memorial ceremony will be held on Friday, September 12th at Good Shephard Lutheran Church, 5701 Raymond Road Madison, WI 53711. The visitation will begin at 10am, service at 11am and lunch to follow.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Service

3610 Speedway Road, Madison

(608) 238-3434