CATHERINE F. HORTON

BAR HARBOR – Catherine “Kay” Florence Blackledge Hor-ton passed away Dec. 7, 2007, in Bar Harbor. Catherine was born Nov. 2, 1926, All Soul’s Day, in Bow, London, the daughter of Edward and Louisa Sadd Blackledge. She was known to her family as Kitty. As a young teenager, Catherine was evacuated during the Blitz to Oxford University with her younger sister, Pat. They lived away from their home for two years to avoid the bombing in London. Catherine met and married an Am-erican soldier, who was stationed in London after the war. Her wedding dress was sent to her by her future mother-in-law because wedding dresses were not available in London at that time. The 12th Century church in Bow where she was married had lost its steeple to a bomb. In the summer of 1947, as a young bride of 19, Catherine traveled alone by ship to New York City, where she was met by her mother-in-law, Mildred Horton; and her husband’s aunt, Josephine. Kay was a member of the Overseas Wives Club at Immanuel Baptist Church, Portland. In 1957 she and her family moved to Bar Harbor, where she volunteered as a Grey Lady for Mount Desert Island Hospital and at the Bar Harbor High School library. She was a member of Mount Desert Island YWCA Lit-erary Club. She attended First Baptist Church of Bar Harbor, where she was a member of the choir and Philathea Group. She worked in several offices in the Bangor area. Kay had most recently resided at Malvern-Belmont Estates, where she liked playing penny ante and attending Tuesday afternoon teas. She was a member of the Bar Harbor Senior Citizens Club. She enjoyed Saturday trips to Ellsworth with her daughter, Susan, and Sunday dinners with her son, Matthew, and his family. She was an accomplished seamstress and master knitter. Her cableknit sweaters were especially beautiful. She was an avid reader, reading as many as five books per week. She also kept busy at various times of her life with crossword puzzles, cribbage, dancing, estate tag sales, shop-ping at Marden’s, and redecorating her home. Many of her friends will remember her English accent, which cropped up every so often even after 60 years in the U. S. Kay had a dry wit and appreciated the humor of her son-in-law, John. Catherine was predeceased by her parents; two brothers, Edward and William; three sisters, Nellie, Dolly and Patricia; and her longtime companion, Leslie “Slim” Tibbetts. She is survived by three children, a daughter, Gail Ward and her husband, John, and their children, John, Andrew and Emily; her daughter, Susan McKay and her husband, Tom; grandson, Jeremy Clark and his wife, Becky, and their son, Alex; her son, Matthew Horton and his wife, Amanda, and their children, Christopher and Katie; her baby brother, James Black-ledge of San Bernadino, Calif.; and many nieces and nephews; the father of Catherine’s children, Malcolm R. Horton Jr. Family and friends are invited to a service celebrating her life 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, at Jordan-Fernald, 48 Eden St., Bar Harbor. Spring interment will be at Ledgelawn Cemetery. In honor of Catherine’s great love of reading, the family suggests that memorial gifts be given to Jesup Memorial Library, 34 Mount Desert St., Bar Harbor, ME 04609 or Literacy Volunteers, 200 Hogan Road, Bangor, ME 04401. Condolences may be expressed online at www.jordanfernald.com.