Catherine J. (Seeger) Cardell

Catherine J. (Seeger) Cardell, 72, surviving spouse of the late Reverend Nicholas C. Cardell, Jr., died September 10, 2018 in Syracuse New York, after a long illness.

Cathy was born in the small, blue collar factory town of Ilion, New York. She grew up there and in Albany, graduating from Academy of the Holy Names and Hudson Valley Community College. While in Albany, Cathy met and married Nick Cardell. They moved to Syracuse when he was called to serve as minister of May Memorial Unitarian Society.

Although she eventually worked at NYDOT, Cathy was first employed as an administrative assistant for the church. With a great sense of humor and a warm smile, she worked to connect folks with one another and to bring joy and love into the church. She facilitated some small groups and helped found a women’s group called Evenings Beyond Eve, which still exists and focuses on raising consciousness of world events.

Cathy was also a fierce social justice warrior, advocating for the church to become a sanctuary for those in need of protection, and protesting at the School of the Americas. Her spirituality and theology was rooted in Native American teachings, she always felt closer to the divine when out in nature.  

After Nick’s death in 2002, Cathy began to make a new life for herself away from May Memorial.  She met Roosevelt Dean, a blues musician, who would be the final love of her life. This new relationship would propel her into the social world of blues music and new friendships.  

She is survived by a brother, Michael (Jackie) Seeger, of East Nassau, NY and a sister, Rosemary Welch, of Syracuse, NY.

Donations may be made in her memory to Francis House Hospice and In My Father’s Kitchen, of Syracuse.