Catherine Patch

Catherine was not a very unique woman. Nor was she especially, remarkably, or wonderfully unique, because, as she was always quick to point out, you can't add a modifier to the word unique. Her love of words touched countless lives through a four-decade career in journalism, mostly at the Toronto Star, where she interviewed Karl Lagerfeld, won the Judy Award for excellence in coverage of the Canadian fashion industry, and learned to ride a horse. (Long story.) After retiring, she spent several years in Xiamen, China, introducing students to the English language. But Catherine loved beauty in all forms. She had a deep love of ballet (as a graduate of NBS), a love of art, of jewellery and antiques, of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, and, almost obsessively, of lilacs. Catherine most enjoyed sharing her loves with others. She collected an assortment of colourful, brilliant friends and would take a ring off her finger to give to one of them; she wanted you to enjoy every bit of beauty there is in the world as much as she did. She is survived by her son, Daniel; brother and sister, Ransom and Florence; and her tuxedo cat, Mingus. A party in her honour will happen in the fall. Please contact the family for details; in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Canada's National Ballet School to ensure that she always has a seat. -30-