Catherine "Cathy" Conaway
April 30, 1947 — September 19, 2024
Catherine “Cathy” Conaway “faced the final curtain” on Sept. 19, 2024.
Cathy was born on April 30, 1947, in Billings, to Russell and Betty Hanstrom, née Anderson. Cathy married Michael Conaway on July 3, 1976.
Cathy had a thirst for learning. She was an avid reader, and visitors to her house could count on hearing the History Channel in the background.
Her passions were many and varied. From photography, to Sinatra, to Frank Lloyd Wright — she delighted in discovering new gems from the world around her. Above all else, she loved sharing those interests with others. This suited her well in her career as a high school English, journalism and photography teacher in Wyoming and Montana. A trait she was famous for sharing was her off-key, half-a-beat-behind renditions of the Beatles and Neil Diamond for anyone with a somewhat willing (or not so willing) ear.
The way Cathy so often managed to be the center of the group of people she was with is a skill that would be impossible for most to learn. She delighted in being in the presence of others, especially her long-lived friend group that have referred to themselves as “the Floozies” since the Kennedy Administration.
She delighted in big gestures, big laughs and her beloved Big Sky State. Spoiling others, and herself, brought her immense joy. Her favorite targets of such sprees were her grandkids (the light of her eyes) — the world will be a very different place without her yearly trips to the shoe store.
Cathy was preceded in death by her parents, whom she held in the highest regard. She is survived by her brother Kenneth (Peggy) Hanstrom and their children, Keith Hanstrom and Amy Steinmetz; sister Kristin Hanstrom and sons Kyle, Marc, and Kurt Brekke; her son Sean (April) Conaway and his daughters Adeline, Charlotte, Emerson, and Nora; her daughter Meghan Conaway and her son Noah.
In lieu of flowers:
Family Services of Billings, MT
University of Montana – department of journalism
Hamster, H, Yabo, Quail, Yaya — your big heart made all of ours bigger, too. We learned from you how to do life “My Way.” You will be missed.
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