CATHERINE NAGY

MIDDLEBURY — Catherine Nagy died peacefully at home May 8, 2026, after a brief illness.

Cathy was born March 28, 1939, in Clifton, N.J., the first of six children of Henry Van Vooren and Catherine Meyer Van Vooren and the first grandchild of Godfrey and Ella Meyer. For Cathy, growing up in a large extended family shaped enduring relationships and fostered her lifelong love of music and storytelling. From the beginning, she also learned to be independent, taking the train to high school at St. Mary’s in Rutherford and later pursuing a bachelor’s degree in home economics at Montclair State College.

Piano lessons from a talented local musician, Maryanne Nagy, and later, participation in her Uncle Ted’s choir at St. Paul’s church, proved providential. In that choir, Cathy, an alto, met Roland “Gus” Nagy, a baritone, who also happened to be Maryanne’s brother. Their romance flourished and Cathy and Gus were married June 13, 1964, a day Cathy always recalled as “the beginning of my happy time.”

Cathy had a brief career as a high school home economics teacher, but turned her focus to home and family once she and Gus settled in Caldwell, N.J., where they raised their three daughters. She volunteered in her daughters’ schools and in the community as a Girl Scout leader and member of the local arts council. Cathy and Gus retired to Williamstown, Mass., in 1992. One of their great joys was singing for some years in the Williams College Choir and performing masterworks like Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Brahms’ German Requiem. They moved north again to Middlebury, Vt., in 2011 to be closer to family. Cathy was one of the first residents on Cottage Lane and developed warm friendships with her neighbors as the community grew. Her beloved Gus died in 2014.

In all the places she lived, Cathy took pride in creating a beautiful home. She had a natural talent for interior design and an appreciation for quality materials. She loved setting an elegant table and sharing delicious meals, whatever the occasion. A skilled sewist, Cathy crafted garments, quilts, curtains, and stitched artwork for friends and family. She was also an avid gardener, enjoying the formality of rosebushes and tulips as well as free-form perennial beds, and was a source of trusted horticultural advice for her daughters. Her appreciation of the natural world included animals as well, and she and Gus found their lives enriched by many beloved dogs over the years.

Cathy had a genuine curiosity about the people she encountered; she believed everyone had an interesting story. Whether you were a neighbor, the Meals on Wheels delivery volunteer, the bus driver, her doctor, or her closest friend, she truly wanted to get to know you better.

In 2021, Cathy moved to the Residence at Otter Creek. She made new friends quickly and reveled in the rich intellectual and social opportunities she found there. Her family extends deep gratitude to this community and to the patient and devoted caregivers who attended to her so tenderly in her final days.

Preceded in death by Gus and her sister Mary Ellen, Cathy leaves many to mourn her passing — daughters Adrianne DaPonte (Paul), Madeline Nagy (Donald Gilrein), and Gwendolyn Nagy-Benson (Andrew); grandchildren Ella, Mary, and Rachael Nagy-Benson and Simeon and Seraphina DaPonte; siblings Eileen Stepien, Loretta Pagliaro, Joseph Van Vooren, and John Van Vooren; and countless beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Cathy’s son-in-law, the Reverend Andrew Nagy-Benson, will lead a service in celebration of her life Monday, June 1, at 11 a.m., at the Congregational Church of Middlebury, UCC, located at 2 Main Street, Middlebury Vt. Reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes contributions in Cathy’s name to Vermont Public or to the Congregational Church of Middlebury. ◊