Dear Colleagues,
The campus community mourns the passing of Catherine Blair M’02, who died on Monday, July 25, 2022. Catherine began working in the Writing Center in 1982. After working there for many years, she obtained a master’s degree in biology and began a second career doing both field and lab research for the next 15 years. Her spouse, Stephen Becker, is associate professor of physics, emeritus.
Included below is the complete text of the obituary, as provided by the family.
I encourage you to visit our In Memoriam site to share personal notes of sympathy and remembrance with others.
On behalf of our entire University community, I extend our deepest sympathies to Catherine’s family, as well as to all who knew her at Bucknell.
John C. Bravman
President
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Catherine Pastore Blair, 80, died at home in Lewisburg, from cancer on Monday, July 25, 2022.
Born June 14, 1942, Catherine grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. She moved to Lewisburg, in 1970 and received a Ph.D. in English literature from Penn State in 1980. She worked in Bucknell University’s Writing Center for many years, and then in 1992 she began a second career – obtaining a master’s degree in biology and then spending the next 15 years doing both field and lab research on beetles. She retired in 2010.
She loved the outdoors – gardening, hiking, and maybe most of all riding horses. She was an enthusiastic and talented cook.
Catherine is survived by her husband of 50 years, Steve Becker of Lewisburg; her daughter, Emily Blair and partner Phuong Nguyen, and her grandson, Max Nguyen of Brooklyn, NY; six siblings, and many nieces and nephews.
The family is being assisted by Cronrath-Grenoble Funeral Home, South Second and St. Louis streets, Lewisburg.
Expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cronrathgrenoblefuneralhome.com.
Couples like Steve and Cat will live long in my memories from Donehower’s. They were such good townies and nice customers. I think my toddler daughter was especially captivated by Cat’s lovely hair – such grace and style she had.
Our hearts go out to you, Steve. Savor the moments of sweetness in the memories. ~Leslie Velz