Obituary of Catherine Anne Wick

Catherine Anne Wick, 81, beloved mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away after a brief and sudden illness on Wednesday, March 27th 2024 surrounded by friends and family.

Cathy was a single child born to Catherine and R. Scott Modjeska in Chicago, Illinois on August 21st, 1942. She is survived by her sons Tim and David, grandsons Alex and Devon, and daughters-in-law Patricia and Jane .

She grew up with a love for mathematics and teaching and devoted much of her life to encouraging young people, but especially young women, to love math and science.

She received her BA from Mount Mary University, her MA from the University of New Mexico and her PhD from the University of Minnesota. She taught math in schools for decades, earned her doctorate, and spent many years teaching the next generation of mathematics educators. Among the many places she taught were St. Paul Open School, Murray Middle School, and St. Cloud State University where she was a tenured professor of Math Education.

Among her many accolades, she was Region 4 director for the Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM), Vice President of Higher Education Mathematics,Chair of the MCTM Foundation, and a member of the publications review committee for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. In 2014, she was recognized as an Honorary Lifetime Member of MCTM. She also taught at the Woodrow Wilson Institute at Princeton University and was on a Woodrow Wilson Algebra traveling team for several summers.

She never stopped learning.

After moving to St. Paul, in 1966, she had two sons, Timothy (Patricia Wick)  and David (Jane Anfinson), with her husband Jerome Wick. Jerome passed away unexpectedly in 1986, and Cathy never remarried. They have, after so many years, finally been reunited.

She spent much of the rest of her life living in the Mac Groveland neighborhood of St. Paul. Recently, she moved to the retirement community of Lexington Landing and found a wonderful fellowship of people with whom she formed an immediate bond.

Cathy loved to travel. She loved the opera. She loved to draw and paint. She loved to perform music at St. Francis Cabrini Catholic Church. She loved spending time talking with her sons and her Friday afternoons with grandsons, Alex and Devon. She loved her daily chats with her friend Sue. She loved her extended family. She loved to read and watch Jeopardy. She loved eating chocolate fudge sundaes with daughter-in-law Patricia and going to concerts with daughter-in-law, Jane. She loved spending time with her friends. She loved to laugh.

She brought joy and love into the lives of many, and she will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

A Celebration of her life will be held on Tuesday, April 2nd at St. Francis Cabrini Catholic Church at 1:00 PM. Visitation to begin at noon. Burial will take place at Resurrection Cemetery at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, April 3rd.

The family requests you wear bright colors to her funeral. We are not mourning her loss - we are celebrating the bright light that shone among us. Tiaras are encouraged. 

In lieu of flowers, Memorials should be sent to the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, Hamline University, Macalester College, or the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. These are just a few of the many causes she supported.

On behalf of Cathy, we’d like to remind everyone that math and science are not just for boys so let’s stop telling young women math is hard. Tell them math is fun and exciting and interesting and buy them pie on Pi Day (3/14).