Christine Whelan, FEO, April 3, 2025, VOL. 6 ISSUE 15
After reading the Fort Erie Observer story about the Fort Erie residents who had received King Charles III Coronation Medals, Cathy Green-Redekop’s oldest daughter, Lindsey Redekop Smith, emailed the paper to let us know her mother had also been nominated.
Vance Badawey MP, who knew the family, had nominated her.
Lindsay explained, “Vance has known my mother for years. So, I think it was fitting. And my mom did know about it. I believe he told her he had nominated her in December.
On January 20, 2025, Catherine Louise Green-Redekop’s full and amazingly joyful dance with life had sadly come to an end, with her family by her side.
“There were just a few people who knew about the nomination. Fewer knew she was to receive a medal. Vance had invited our family to attend the awards ceremony on March 15, 2025. The people who received medals were mostly from his riding area, located in Port Colborne. I think my mom was the only one from Fort Erie.”
Surrounded by family, Wayne accepted the medal on her behalf, taking a rare moment to set aside his responsibilities as Fort Erie’s Mayor and fully embrace his role as a loving husband and father.
“Obviously, it was very emotional at the ceremony. But it was nice.” We talked about the wide range of emotions felt on that day.
Born October 9, 1954, during Hurricane Hazel, Cathy attended Fort Erie Secondary School, McMaster University (Bachelor of Physical Education) and Brock University (B. Ed.).
She began teaching with the Niagara South Board of Education in 1978. Except for four months at Port Colborne High School, Cathy’s first eight years were spent at Fort Erie Secondary School, where she taught Math, Science and Physical Education. In 1987, she began teaching Science and Math at Ridgeway Crystal Beach High School. For the last nine years of her career, she served as the Cooperative Education Coordinator.
Throughout her teaching career, Cathy was actively involved in co-curricular programs, including coaching athletics and cheerleading, running school clubs, planning environmental club trips and activities, and mentoring her many students.
Cathy served as a Brownie leader for nine years and volunteered at local blood donor clinics for two decades, in addition to participating in community cleanups, various church events and activities, and working as a canvasser for the Arthritis Society.
She retired as a teacher in 2013
Family
Wayne was her husband and love of her life for over 48 years. We know him as Mayor. But he is also the man who shared almost half a century with this woman, whom he still describes as “remarkable in so many ways” to this day.
While Cathy’s true love is Wayne, her true legacy is her three daughters and three grandsons.
From here, in their words, I let them share with you, their mom, their nana.
Words Written by Hilary
“She was many different things to many different people, but to my sisters and me, she was mom, she was our mommy,” Hilary spoke at Cathy’s funeral service.
The middle daughter, who is now a teacher up north, continued, “She first became a mother in 1981 with the birth of my sister Lindsay. Next was me, in 1984, then Kylie in 1987.
In the eulogy, Hilary included childhood memories of their time spent in nature, as well as many incredible family vacations.
She wrote, “Mom made sure we saw Canada, taking us by train to the west coast, then two trips to the east coast. We travelled this country extensively, which is something I am eternally grateful for.
Lindsay, Cathy’s oldest and a teacher in Fort Erie, shared, “Mom was very passionate about Canada. She loved teaching kids about our geography. She wanted to make sure that we saw Canada.
There Will Always Be A Song
Cathy loved to sing while doing things and had a song for everything, according to Hilary. “If you ever got in a canoe with her, you knew for a fact that she would have to sing the folk song for children, My Paddle’s Keen and Bright, and you were encouraged to sing along — possibly in a round.”
Hilary promised her mom that this would be a tradition they would carry on forever, in her honour.
Nana
“Mom was thrilled to become a grandmother for the first time in 2015 when Lindsay’s son, Brody, was born. Next came Cullen in 2018,” Hilary wrote.
She loved caring for the boys and spending time with them. There were trips to the beach and the zoo, as well as puzzles and board games. She read countless stories and made many tuna sandwiches.
“On Christmas of 2023, Riley and I shared the news that we were expecting a baby in July.”
The girls knew their mother hung on for Lonnie, Hilary and Riley’s son. She survived the first six months of his life.
Hilary wrote, “Even with her advanced illness, she doted on him as much as she could.”
Being Remembered
She included, “I know that leaving her grandchildren was her biggest regret. She was so worried that Cullen wasn’t old enough to remember her. She worried that she would fade away in his memory.
‘I’ll remember Nana,’ Cullen told Lindsay, ‘I’m almost seven now. I’ll remember.”
Known by Many
Lindsey remarked, “Mom would make friends wherever she went. We would go anywhere, and she would start talking to someone. And she taught so many students; now some of them have kids whom I’ve taught.
“She loved going for walks on the beach.” Lindsey shared stories about her mom taking her kids to the beach, where they made friends along the way.
Kylie, the youngest of the sisters, a family physician in Fort Erie, also recalled memories of their mom making friends wherever they went.
She also reminisced about the “secret beach” that Lindsay’s boys had claimed as their own. One day, while walking along the shore, Cathy met a woman and struck up a friendly conversation. From that moment on, the woman welcomed them to enjoy her private beach whenever they pleased.
At work, patients often tell Kylie that her mom was one of their favourite teachers. She left such a lasting impression and had such a profound impact on many people.
“Education was so important to her,” Kylie said, “She was the first in her immediate family to go to university, which I think was a real source of pride for her.”
With a little laugh, she remembered something her mom had said to her while she was still in school: “You don’t have to marry a doctor. You can be a doctor, and that always stuck with me.” Pausing slightly, “And I don’t even think I was considering being a doctor at that time.”
A Photo
“There was one that we came across when we were looking for photos for the ceremony slideshow. It’s one of us when we were on vacation. It embodied my childhood and what she was like. We were hiking through the woods when she bent down and pointed at something. It looks like a rock.” Kylie added through emotion, “It’s such a great photo.”
A Song
Knowing that the girls grew up singing with their mom, I asked Kylie if there was a song she knew would always remind her of her mom. “I can’t get into a canoe without immediately starting to sing My Paddle’s Keen and Bright,” singing the title. “And sometimes even singing it as a round.”
After a brief moment of reflection, she shared, “Not long after Mom passed, we were reminiscing about the song. We were in the car, and Lonnie was a bit fussy. So, we all started singing it together, turning it into a round.
She went on to explain that this song had roots in the past, dating back to when Cathy was a Brownie leader.
Always a Learning Experience
Lindsay reminisced about being raised by a teacher. “She always took us on family hikes. Every moment was a teaching opportunity.”
Cathy would always be so prepared. They’d all have their own fanny packs of supplies, including everything from snacks to band-aids.
Once, late at night, the girls found her sitting at a window, silently watching a thunderstorm. She brought them in for a cuddle and a lesson on the science behind thunderstorms.
She taught them that the unknown is a chance to learn and that there is opportunity behind their fears.
Cathy didn’t just send them to Girl Guides, she became the Brownie leader.
“Mom wanted to raise strong independent daughters,” Lindsay said, adding that, through example, she was involved in different committees and strongly believed in women’s rights.
“I know that Terry Fox was a very inspirational person for my mom. She organized the Terry Fox Run every year at the high school. That was important to her.” She added that her kids are now involved in the Terry Fox Run at her school, which made her mom proud.
Cathy also taught her girls how to be brave by leading by example.
Hilary wrote, “Mom went courageously toward her mortality with her head held high. With her calm resolve, she showed us all that it was time for us to be brave as well.”
The Last Year
Kylie shared some of the highlights of the last year. Each event became a goal for Cathy to push herself to reach, to be a part of. Lonnie’s birth, her 70th birthday, Christmas.
Hillary made many trips back and forth, even with the newborn baby, often staying longer than planned.
After Cathy passed away, the family went through her iPad and discovered many now-treasured selfies she had taken with the boys that they had never seen before.
“Your children are everything,” Cathy told Hilary just a few weeks before she finished her life’s dance. “Remember that. They’re everything.”
Hilary wrote that it was both advice and a reminder of how fortunate they had always been.
