Catherine Alexich Steffen

Cathy with a C departed this world on April 20, 2022 fighting with all her warrior strength to remain here with us to complete her list of unfinished business that included retiring, rescuing more cats, and visiting Scotland. Those that loved her believe that God had bigger plans for her though that does not currently console us. Our heart are filled with loss and grief.

She was the baby of our four children born to Barbara Ensley Alexich and Mladjan Alexich in Columbus, Georgia on September 23, 1956. As soon as she learned to read, she became a passionate reader of books and a lover of words. Early in her childhood her love of cats became apparent and that affection was demonstrated in many ways. She rescued, fostered, and adopted many throughout her life. Fishing was also something that she enjoyed since she was a kid having learned how from our maternal grandmother. Cathy was also a lover of American muscle cars and knew more about them than many automobile mechanics. Over the years, many friends and family members have benefited from her automobile expertise.

After high school, Cathy became a U.S. Army wife in Ft. Lewis, Washington and even lived in Korea for several years with her former husband on an unaccompanied tour prior to his retirement. In Ft. Knox, Kentucky.

Cathy spent over 20 years working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville Division in Emergency Management. During her employment, she earned an army meritorious civilian award and multiple commanders awards and achievement awards. She has been called "a master at what she did" by her supervisors. During her time there, she did temporary assignment in Cincinnati at the Corps' Great Lakes and the Ohio River Division as the overseas deployment coordinator, deploying hundreds of civilians to Afghanistan and Iraq. She was known as an expert in her field and was always willing to train the next generation. To us that ventured to visit her adopted city, she was a fabulous tour guide sharing all that the Louisville area had to offer.

Besides her parents, Cathy is predeceased in death by her paternal grandmother, Irene Dzmelyk Alexich of Worthington, Ohio, her maternal grandparents, Madge Tabb and Adolph Ensley of Columbus, Georgia, and a brother, Michael Dushan Alexich of Ft. Pierce, Florida.
She is survived by her sister, Irene Alexich Pate (John Michael) of Columbus, Georgis, her brother, Marcus Dimitrius Alexich of Plant City, Florida, three nephews as well as her ex-husband and friend, Gary Steffen of Radcliff, Kentucky.

A memorial service will be held for her and her recently deceased father, Mladjan Alexich, at a later date in Columbus, Georgia.
Donations in her memory can be made to the Friends of Hardin County Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 951, Elizabethtown, Kentucky, 42702 or at www.fohcas.org/donate in memory of Cathy Steffen.