SHARON — Catherine (Palmer) Wilcox passed away on April 16, 2021, at her home in Sharon.
Born May 10, 1933, in Cornwall, she was the daughter of Esther (Bailey) and Edwin Palmer.
She was married for 65 years to the late Norman Wilcox.
A graduate of Housatonic Valley Regional High School, she lived all of her adult life in Sharon on the family dairy farm.
Catherine worked for many years at the Mohawk State Forest fire tower in Cornwall, scanning the vast forest with binoculars searching for fires, before satellites.
She then worked her way up to head the Purchasing Department at Sharon Hospital until her retirement. It was a job she loved and always talked about.
During her retirement she volunteered every Tuesday for many years at the Bargain Barn in Sharon.
She and her husband traveled the entire U.S. (including Alaska for three months) in their RV. Later, they cruised to the Panama Canal; traveled internationally with the Connecticut Dairy Tours, visiting farms in Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Ireland; cherished trips to France with their daughters and grandson, and a trip to Norway with their daughter.
They frequently went on senior day trips to various places.
Catherine was very passionate about the things she loved; you always learned something new about the birds she enjoyed watching (hummingbirds in particular), the beautiful flowers she grew, or her love of cooking and baking. She was known for her cheesecakes, making sure everyone had their favorite.
She was an accomplished seamstress and knitter, sewing her clothes and dresses for her young girls with matching dresses for their dolls.
She leaves her daughter, Laure Peterson and her husband, Alan, of Dedham, Mass.; a grandson, Joshua Fontaine and his wife, Christina, of North Haven; and three great-grandchildren, Jackson, Lucy and Rae Fontaine.
She was predeceased by her husband, Norman; a daughter, Debra Fontaine, and her husband, John; a sister, Donna DiLullo; and brother, William Palmer.
A graveside ceremony is scheduled for Friday, April 23, at 11 a.m. at the Cornwall Hollow Cemetery.
The Kenny Funeral Home in Sharon has charge of the arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Sharon Fire and Ambulance, P.O. Box 357, Sharon, CT 06069.
