Cathie De Luca, age 65 years, of Flemington Borough, NJ, died peacefully on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, at home, surrounded by her devoted husband and three children.

Catherine De Luca, known to everyone as Cathie, was born March 20, 1958, to Alex and Cathie Astone. She was raised in Union, New Jersey, along with her three older brothers Tom, Mike and Pat. Growing up, she enjoyed vacations at the Jersey Shore with her family, and going pool hopping with her dad, brothers, and her Wysocki cousins. She enjoyed listening to The Beatles and had all their albums.

Cathie attended St. Michael’s Elementary School in Union, and Mother Seton Regional High School located in Clark, NJ. She then went on to pursue her nursing degree at Muhlenberg Hospital School of Nursing, where she graduated in 1979, soon after receiving her RN license. With her goal of eventually working in intensive care, she gained experience first through working in medical & surgical units, before accomplishing her goal of working in the ICU. Much of her nursing career was devoted to critical care patients and she took great pride in that.

She met her future husband Mike at a New Year’s Eve party, and while dating, they enjoyed going to concerts, the beach, and family gatherings. They were married in 1982 and moved to the DC area, where they settled in Rockville, Maryland and had three children. AJ and KateLynn were born 12 minutes apart in 1985, and Bridget was born in 1989. Cathie was greatly proud of being a Mom and it was clear to everyone that she loved that role. She was so devoted to her kids that she worked nights so she could spend time with them during the day.

The family returned to New Jersey in 1990 and settled in Flemington. She and Mike actively engaged their kids in many sports and activities, and she fully embraced being a Mom. The family enjoyed spending time at family vacation homes, first in the Poconos, then for many years in Wildwood Crest, her favorite place away from home. She loved the family pets, especially their golden retrievers, Bailey, Dewey, Riley and Cooper. Cooper loved to steal her socks and shoes to play with her.

She enjoyed traveling with her husband, including trips they had to Hawaii and Barbados, and she especially loved their trip to Italy for their 25^th wedding anniversary. In 2001, she and Mike purchased an old Victorian home “as is” in Flemington. That resulted in years of dedicated work and effort to restore the home to its full glory. She was very proud of the home she helped build, and particularly loved sitting on the front porch with family and her beloved goldens.

Despite her illness in the past few years, she never complained, and continued to care for and support her family. She remained a beacon of positivity and always had time for others. She always cared for and put the wellbeing of her family and patients above all else, and was a source of guidance and advice for family and friends all over. Cathie was a gentle soul, a friend to all, and will be greatly missed.

Cathie is predeceased by her parents Alex and Cathie Astone, and her brothers Tom and Pat.

In addition to her husband, children, and canine companion Cooper, she is survived by her brother, Mike and his wife, Janice, and daughter, Laura Astone, her sister-in-law, June Astone, her brother-in-law, Ernest, her sister-in-law, Cyndee Cannon and her husband, Marty, and their children, Christopher, Kyle, Kevin and KadyRose.

Cathie will lie in repose on Monday, July 10, 2023, from 4:00-7:30 p.m., in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

A Vigil and Life Celebration Service will take place following the gathering at 7:30 p.m. at the funeral home and to which all are welcome.

A Mass of Christian Burial celebrated by Rev. Matthew Marinelli will take place on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., at St. Magdalen Church, 105 Mine Street, Flemington, NJ, under the care and direction of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services. Everyone is kindly asked to arrive at the church on Tuesday morning at 10:15 a.m., and to follow the instructions of the Wright & Ford Care Team Family Ambassadors upon arrival.

Committal prayers followed by inurnment at St. Magdalen Mausoleum, North Main Street, Flemington, NJ, will take place at a later date.

You are encouraged to visit Cathie’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of her life.

Those who wish to honor Cathie are asked to make a contribution in her memory to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, via mail to 230 East Ohio Street, Suite 500, Chicago, Illinois 60611, or online by clicking HERE.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”

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