Catharine Louise Ferrari, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and dear friend, passed away peacefully on August 6, 2026, at the age of 96½, surrounded by the loved ones who meant so much to her.
Catharine was born on February 11, 1930, in Sugarite, New Mexico, to Hurley Gayet and Marie Falletti Gayet. She was the youngest of five children, growing up alongside her three brothers, Laverne, Charles, and Sylvester Gayet, and her sister, Theresa Gayet Vukonich.
Catharine never had the opportunity to know her father who passed away while Marie was pregnant with Catharine, leaving her mother to raise her and her siblings.
On December 7, 1941—Pearl Harbor Day—Catharine and her mother, Marie, moved to Raton, New Mexico. Raton would become the community Catharine called home for most of her life and the place where she created a lifetime of memories, friendships, and family.
On Christmas Day 1949, Catharine married the love of her life, Joseph Ferrari. Together, they built a beautiful life centered around family, faith, and love. Their 50 plus years of marriage was a lasting example of devotion and partnership.
Catharine was a devoted mother to her son, Joseph Ferrari Jr., and her daughter, Charmaine Ferrari Napier. Her greatest joy, however, was watching her family grow through the generations.
She is survived by her son, Joseph Ferrari Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Ferrari; her daughter, Charmaine Ferrari Napier and her husband, Bill Napier; her grandchildren, Brian Ferrari and his wife, Jennifer; Christina Dahlberg and her husband, Brian; Kyle Napier and his wife, Candice Misanik; and Kala Napier; and her two great-granddaughters, Stella and Lucy Dahlberg, who lovingly knew her as GG.
Catharine was the kind of woman people never forgot. She was the sweetest, kindest, and wittiest woman, with a wonderful sense of humor and a genuine ability to make everyone around her feel loved and welcome. She was a great friend to all who knew her with a way of making people feel special simply by being herself.
She was a devoted Catholic who lived her faith through both devotion and service to others. As an adult, Catharine generously volunteered her time at the local hospital in Raton, giving back to the community she loved. She lived in Raton until 2016, leaving behind generations of family, lifelong friendships, and countless memories woven into the community she called home. Catharine was a bookkeeper at the Chevrolet Garage and for the family owned gas station until she retired. She was an avid crafter, crocheting hundreds of blankets that she gave to family and friends.
Catharine’s greatest legacy is the love she gave to her family and everyone fortunate enough to know her. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and GG, and her family will forever treasure her stories, her laughter, her wit, her kindness, and the countless ways she showed them what it meant to love deeply.
Perhaps the greatest comfort of all is knowing that Catharine finally got to meet her father and be united with her love, Joey. We imagine that Heaven welcomed her with open arms, and gave her the chance to finally know the father she never had the opportunity to meet on Earth.
She was deeply loved. She will be profoundly missed. And she will forever be our GG.
Funeral services for Catharine Louise Ferrari will be held on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the Alderette-Pomeroy Funeral Home Chapel, located at:
Alderette-Pomeroy Funeral Home, Inc. 244 N. 1st Street Raton, New Mexico 87740
Following the service, Catharine will be laid to rest at 11:00 a.m. at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Raton, New Mexico.
Family and friends are invited to join in honoring and celebrating Catharine’s beautiful life and the love she shared with so many.
To send flowers or plant a memorial tree in memory, please visit our flower store.
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