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Catherine Tabor

December 22, 1961 - April 22, 2014
Livonia, MI

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Visitation

Saturday, April 26, 2014
3:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Turowski Life Story Funeral Homes
Livonia, West of Middlebelt
30200 Five Mile Rd.
Livonia, MI 48154
(734) 525-9020
Driving Directions

Visitation

Sunday, April 27, 2014
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Turowski Life Story Funeral Homes
Livonia, West of Middlebelt
30200 Five Mile Rd.
Livonia, MI 48154
(734) 525-9020
Driving Directions

Service

Sunday, April 27, 2014
1:00 PM EDT
Turowski Life Story Funeral Homes
Livonia, West of Middlebelt
30200 Five Mile Rd.
Livonia, MI 48154
(734) 525-9020
Driving Directions

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

The funeral home suggests donations to Daniel and Stephen

Life Story / Obituary


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As someone who was always looking for ways she could help others, Catherine Tabor touched the lives of all who were within her reach. She was fun-loving with a contagious zest for life coupled with a sense of humor that brought laughter to those around her. A more devoted mother would be hard to find as Cathy fully immersed herself into caring for the boys who were the light of her life. She brought a room to life by telling the funniest stories, which was just one of the things that made her so easy to love. Although her life came to an end much too soon, the memories Cathy leaves behind will never be forgotten.

The 1960s were a colorful time in our nation’s history when we elected the young John F. Kennedy as our 35th United States President only to grieve his death a couple of years later. Civil rights and women’s rights came front and center while we celebrated unprecedented accomplishments in the world of space including putting the first man on the moon. It was during this exciting time that a young couple from Livonia, Michigan, was pleased to announce the birth of their healthy baby girl on December 22, 1961, in Detroit. Catherine Lynn was one of three girls born to her parents, Art and Carol Perkins, and she was raised in the family home alongside her sisters, Leslie and Sharon. Her father worked in customer service at Detroit Diesel while her mother was a busy homemaker.

In many ways Cathy experienced a childhood that was fairly typical among the young people of her generation. She was a busy young girl as she had a paper route, played softball, and was an altar girl at St. Elizabeth’s. As a family they belonged to a camping club through Cathy’s father’s work so some of her favorite memories were made while on family camping trips. She also went canoeing with the Girl Scouts and took an amazing two week trip up the Freedom Trail with the Girl Scouts as well. Together the group made it through 14 states!

As a teen Cathy was an active girl. As a student at local schools her high school year found her at Livonia Franklin High School where she sang in the choir and also made it into the Bell Canto Choir. Cathy was a member of the Franklin Players, part of the student congress, and had her first job at Dunkin’ Donuts in addition to holding down her studies and keeping up with her additional activities. She had a memorable trip to Daytona Beach with friends during her senior year and went on to graduate in 1980.

Cathy later continued her education. With a longtime interest in the medical field she started off in the dental program, but she later received her associate’s degree as a certified occupational therapist assistant from Schoolcraft College in Livonia in 1997.

It was also as a young woman that Cathy’s life was forever changed after meeting a man named Mike Tabor at a company picnic. After dating for a time they were married in a beautiful wedding ceremony in 1984. Together they were blessed with the births of two sons, Stephen and Danny. Although they divorced in 1998, Cathy was forever grateful for the children they shared.

An amazing mother, Cathy was an active part of her sons’ lives. She and her sons made priceless memories taking various trips both close to home and farther away. Sometimes they went up North to go boating or to take in Mackinac Island while staying in a little cabin by the shore, and they also took a tobogganing trip up there, too. Cathy’s boys loved going to Disney with grandma and grandpa and also went to Sea World and Myrtle Beach. Taking in the celebration during the Livonia Spree was also something that Cathy and her boys looked forward to every year.

In her leisure time Cathy kept busy pursuing her interests. She enjoyed reading and liked keeping up with various reality television shows with Dancing With the Stars and The Amazing Race being among her favorites. Although she enjoyed these things, Cathy was always available to help others in any way she could first and foremost. She was a great listener who at times was just there to offer her support and encouragement while providing a listening ear. Cathy offered unconditional love and was supportive of her sons, additional family members, and her friends, too. Mew the cat was part of Cathy’s family, but she was the only one the cat liked.

Vibrant, free-spirited, and compassionate, Catherine Tabor was an extraordinary woman to know and love. She told the funniest stories about her life at work or about Stephen, and her laughter was truly infectious. Cathy was generous and known for helping those around her in ways both great and small, and her love for her family was unmatched. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered by her family and friends.

Catherine passed away April 22, 2014. Loving mother to Stephen and Daniel Tabor, dear sister to Leslie (Tim) Sullivan and Sharon Griffin, beloved daughter of Arthur and the late Carol Perkins, and dear aunt to many nieces. Family will receive friends Saturday 3-9pm and Sunday 12-1pm at Neely-Turowski Life Story Funeral Home where a Memorial Service will be held Sunday at 1pm.

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