Cathy Sue Fathi, age 70, was born to Walter and Joan (Schultze) Williams in Redfield, SD in March of 1952. She graduated from Redfield High School in 1970 and from Black Hills State University in 1974. During her career, she worked as a special education teacher in Alliance, NE and for Disney Travel and Disney Stores in Chicago, IL. She was an avid Disney fan and collector, and she enjoyed visiting Disney resorts or taking Disney cruises. Cathy passed away at her home in Sedona, AZ on May 13, 2022.
Cathy married Vahid Fathi on May 8, 1976, at “The Chapel in the Hills” (Stav Kirk) in Rapid City, SD. They raised their family in Cleveland, Ohio and Naperville, Illinois. In 2008, they purchased a vacation home in Sedona, Arizona. After retiring in 2013, Cathy and Vahid permanently moved to Sedona. Cathy is survived by her husband, Vahid of Sedona, AZ, her children: Ali Jason Fathi of Golden, CO; Mehdi Justin (Carrie) Fathi of Chicago, IL; Farah Nicole Fathi of Buckeye, AZ. She is also survived by her brother Ted (Shannon) Williams of Redfield and sister Mary Jo (Kevin “Chukk”) Haselhorst of San Antonio, TX. She has several nieces and nephews who will also greatly miss her: Ryan (Rashmi) Williams and their daughters Addie and Ellie of Hamel, MN; Brent (Ingrid) Williams and daughters Eliza and Georgia of St. Paul, MN; Dustin Waldner and son Weston of Redfield, SD; Erik (Emily) Haselhorst and sons Jack and Will of Austin, TX; and Ali (Alex Ramirez) Haselhorst and son Andrew of Austin, TX. She is also survived by foreign exchange student sister Mimi (Firooz) Milanifar of London, England. She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter in 2012 and Joan in 2016, her father-in-law Mehdi Gohli Fathi in 1992, and by her nephew, Chad Williams, in 2010.
The family is planning a private celebration of Cathy’s life to take place in Redfield at an undetermined date in the future. The family requests no memorials or flowers.