FREEPORT – Catherine Simpson Wagner, 81, of Freeport, passed away peacefully Thursday, April 18, 2024 at The Garden, at Midcoast Senior Health in Brunswick.

Cathy was born on May 9, 1942 in Portland, the daughter of Bradford and Louise (Larson) Simpson.

Graduating from Deering High School in 1960, Cathy went on to earn her teaching degree from Gorham Teachers College and began her career in education as an elementary teacher in Yarmouth.

In 1967 she married Richard Wagner and the two began their life together in Freeport, where Richard owned and operated Derosier’s Market. Together they had two wonderful sons, Phil and Sam, and Cathy chose to take a break from her career to focus on raising their boys.

In the early 1980s she returned to work, this time at Freeport Community Education, coordinating extracurricular activities for children and organizing programming for adults. She returned to teaching in the early 1990s as a Special Education Teacher at Morse Street School in Freeport. Cathy’s kind, caring, and patient demeanor made her both a wonderful mother to her boys as well as an excellent educator. She thrived at fostering a love of learning through reading in the children she engaged with, and went on to become a librarian, first at Freeport’s Morse Street School and then at the Freeport Public Library.

After retirement Cathy continued to spend her days interacting with and helping people. She loved running errands, especially for her son, Phil, for Derosier’s. She was a local fixture, often seen taking care of the flowers in the store’s window boxes, walking around town, giving directions, and talking to people and their dogs. She wanted nothing more than to help people in any way she could.

An avid gardener, Cathy enjoyed reading, traveling, and culture, and loved taking her sons on trips and attending theatrical performances with them. She and the boys had a passion for ice hockey and were members of the Maine Mariners’ and Portland Pirates’ booster clubs for years. Most of all, Cathy was known as a devoted cat lover. She adopted many, many cats throughout her lifetime, providing them with a warm and loving home, greatly enjoying their many antics and telling their stories to her family and friends.

Cathy is survived by her husband of 57 years, Richard Wagner of Freeport; her children, Samuel Wagner and his wife Angela of Portland, and Philip Wagner and his wife Pamela or Freeport; her two adored grandchildren, Alexandra and Benjamin Wagner of Freeport; her brother, Frank Simpson and his wife Linda of Sarasota, Fla., and her best friend, Patricia “Auntie Pat” Whitney of Freeport.

A celebration of life event for Cathy is being planned for this summer. To express condolences or to participate in Cathy’s online tribute, please visit http://www.dolbyblaissegee.com

Donations in her memory may be made to the

HART of Maine (Homeless Animal Rescue Team),

P.O. Box 351,

Cumberland, ME 04021

or at http://www.hartofme.org.

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