Friends and family are mourning the loss of Catherine A. Perrin, who died at her Shelter Island home on Thursday, November 17, 2011 after a brief illness. Close friends Gina and Gerry Surerus and Barbara Smith were at her side.

Born in Portland, Maine in 1941, Cathie grew up in nearby Falmouth and attended primary and secondary schools there. Her family owned a furniture store in Portland. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in English in 1963.

She struck out for New York City with a fellow graduate and pursued a career in social work. She worked her way up from case worker to assistant to the commissioner of the Department of Welfare while earning a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University. During the turbulent 1960s, Cathie was politically active as a worker’s rights advocate and participated in the People’s March on Washington in 1968. A person of strong convictions, she was known to speak her mind and to often speak up for those in need.

After sampling several East End sites while on vacation, Cathie left city life behind in the early 1970s and chose Shelter Island as her permanent home. She endeared herself to many people here and touched many lives. An avid reader, she was a regular at the Shelter Island Library and enjoyed discussing books and sharing recommendations.

Cathie was also a great lover of wildlife and the natural landscape, with Mashomack Preserve a favorite site for a hike. She was a fixture for years at the annual dinner dance there, volunteering at the reception table, where her friendly, outgoing personality was a real asset. She took great joy in watching the comings and goings of ospreys, egrets and other waterfowl in the pond at her home.

Upon moving to Shelter Island, Cathie continued for a brief time in social work, working for the Suffolk County Department of Health. She also worked at Shelter Island Nursery for awhile. Wherever she worked, she made friends and reached out to a wide variety of people, always taking time to ask about their families and what was important to them.

In the mid-1980s, Cathie got into the real estate business, a line of work that suited her well, being a hard worker, personable and trustworthy. She was successful and respected by clients and fellow agents. She worked at Ferry Hills Real Estate, Gregory Price Agency, Cook Pony Farm and was a senior vice president at Corcoran Group at the time of her death.

Travel was a large part of Cathie’s life. She went to Europe and took several trips to Italy, where she was enamored of the people, the food, the art and the architecture. She also traveled widely in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. She often joked that she got almost as much enjoyment out of planning trips as she did from the actual trips.

Cathie was predeceased by her parents Walter and Betty Perrin, and her brother Carl. She is survived by Carl’s wife, Susan, of Australia, and their children, Stephen Perrin of British Columbia and Julie Perrin Rogers, her husband Linc and their son Riley, of Toronto, Canada. She is also survived by her cousin Andy of Portland, Maine and his two daughters Sophia and Bella.

Those who knew Cathie well say they will remember fondly a smart, engaging, compassionate woman. One of her most endearing qualities was an ability to find humor in almost all situations. They say she had an uncanny knack for telling stories that entertained them for years. She will be lovingly remembered, friends said.

A memorial service is planned for the spring. Memorial donations may be made in Cathie’s honor to the Nature Conservancy’s Mashomack Preserve, P.O. Box 850, Shelter Island, NY 11964, the Shelter Island Public Library, P.O. Box 2016, Shelter Island, NY 11964, Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, P.O. Box 901, Wainscott, NY 11975 or East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978.