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Caterina, 90, of Fountain Hills, Arizona, died peacefully on January 31 at a nursing care home.
Caterina was born in Messina, Italy in 1934, emigrating to the US in 1959. She spent the next 14 years working in NYC as a highly skilled seamstress and tailor, and then moved to Arizona, eventually starting her own alterations business. She loved her adopted country and took every opportunity it offered to better her life and that of her only child. She was well known to all her friends, family, and clients as a true fashionista who loved helping others look and feel great. Caterina was also a magnificent Italian cook who made every family gathering a unique delight. She eventually met the man of her dreams, Roice Norwood. Together they realized all of life’s beauty. Caterina ended up living the life she had always dreamed of when she was a girl growing up in a small Sicilian village.
Caterina is survived by her daughter, Nina Johnston, and son-in-law Bruce; her grandchildren Brenna and Andrew; and her greatgrandchildren Eban, Noelle, and Bauer. They are all grateful for the time they had together, for the help and dedication Caterina brought to her family, and for the lessons in courage she taught all of us. A funeral service will be held on 2/12, 2:00 pm, at Messenger Mortuary in Fountain Hills.
Through her daughter’s Johnston Family Foundation, a scholarship in Caterina’s name will be awarded to a deserving 2025 senior who is committed to the same values Caterina held dear: work hard, help others, and improve your community by improving yourself. Please go to johnstonff.org/donate-today/.
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