Obituary of Catherine Magdalene Eluchok

ELUCHOK, Catherine Magdalene (nee Mark), on Saturday, Dec. 3, in London. She was 80. Born in Montreal on Dec. 29, 1941, to Joseph Mark (formerly Merk) and his wife Veronika Goepfrich, she moved to West Lorne with her parents and older sister Ann in 1946. Excelling in sports, Cathy was captain of the junior and senior girls’ basketball and volleyball teams at West Elgin Secondary School. She graduated from London Teachers College in 1960 and, at 19, began a 35-year teaching career at various Catholic elementary schools in the city before retiring in 1996. She loved her family, her loyal and caring friends, all animals but especially her dog Sam, a walk in Gibbons Park with her girlhood friend Eileen Humphries Lake, sunsets at Sauble Beach, her morning coffee, and a glass of wine on any occasion. A highly respected teacher, she also served as a passionate basketball and volleyball coach for her students, often driving them to after-class games at other schools. In mid-career and as an evening student, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1981 from the University of Western Ontario. On retirement, she was honoured for mentoring numerous student teachers. Her parents and beloved sister, Ann Zimmerman of Windsor, predeceased her. She is survived by her husband Bill, whom she married in 1961; her daughters Susan Burge of Carlisle, Ont., Larisa Grant and Tanya Wickett, and her son Paul, all of London; by her daughter-in-law Andrea Legato and her sons-in-law Ian Burge and Neil Grant, and by eight grandchildren — Alex, Nicholas and Gabrielle Burge, Ethan and Claire Grant, Madeline and Riley Wickett, and Katharine Eluchok — all of whom she was justifiably proud. A visitation is set for 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, at John T. Donohue Funeral Home, 362 Waterloo St. A private funeral Mass will be scheduled in the near future at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, with placement of her remains in St. Peter’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Alzheimer’s Society might be considered. To Donate CLICK HERE.  The family deeply appreciates and is thankful for the sensitive and respectful care she received at McCormick Home, and in particular the nurses and support staff in Memory Lane where she had resided since 2017. She will be forever in our hearts.