Catherine "Cathy" Cable Richard

Dateline – Laurens, SC

Catherine “Cathy” Cable Richard of Laurens, South Carolina passed away October 3, 2016 at the Presbyterian Home of Clinton, South Carolina after a long illness.
Cathy was born in 1943 to Walter and Luella Cable of Harwinton, CT. A lifelong scholar and learner, she attended Central Connecticut State College where she earned both a B.S. in Elementary Education and an M.S. in Reading. Later, she would graduate from the University of South Carolina earning a Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in Reading Education in 1980. She was a Full Professor and the Department Chair of Education at Newberry College, a position she held and adored for over 25 years. Upon her retirement in 2004, she was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus in honor of her service to the school and to her students, many of whom became teachers in South Carolina schools.
Cathy is survived by her husband of 49 years, Ronald Richard, and by her daughters, Dawn Richard Blackwell of Clayton, North Carolina, and Suzanne Richard McCarthy of Hudson, New Hampshire. She is also survived by her sons-in-law, Steven Michael Blackwell and Gerald Francis McCarthy, her grandchildren, Bailey and Stella Blackwell, her sister, Patricia Thompson of Bristol, Connecticut, and her brothers Rodney Cable of Deltona, Florida and Robert Cable of Jacksonville, Florida.
Cathy was a devoted wife and mother, a fearless and passionate educator, and a truly outstanding and supportive friend. She loved reading and travel, but most of all she loved helping those around her fulfill their dreams. She believed in the power of education to change lives, and in the power of schools to heal and elevate communities. She believed that everyone possessed unlimited potential, that everyone’s dreams were important and achievable, and that our story is never truly over.
Funeral services will be held at 11 am Friday, October 14, 2016 at the First Presbyterian Church of Laurens where Catherine had been a member since 1976.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina and taking some time to read a book you love with a child.
Condolences may be expressed online at www.grayfuneralhome.com
Gray Funeral Home of Laurens