Catherine Gruwell

Catherine Lee Barnes Gruwell, beloved sister, wife, mother and “Ma” passed away peacefully on the afternoon of May 19th, 2022 in her home in Canyon Lake, Tx after a long, hard fought, courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. The graveside service will be held at 10am on Sat. June 4th, 2022 at Mountain Valley Cemetery with a celebration of life to follow at Canyon Lake clubhouse. Cathy was born in Manhasset, New York on May 30, 1955 to Roy and Nancy Barnes. She moved to Colorado as a young adult and then onto California where she graduated from JFK high school. There at a church youth group she met and fell in love with Michael Jay Gruwell and was married a couple years later. Cathy and Mike moved to Colorado for a few short years before deciding to put down roots in Texas, build a home and raise a family. Once they moved to Texas Cathy worked for eastern airlines and sato travel for many years while raising their 2 daughters together in the hill country. However she decided her true calling was to work with children. She went back to school while working a full time job and received her teaching degree at Southwest Texas (now Texas State) where she went onto change the lives of the kids she taught for the next 20 years. After retiring in 2015 from CISD she and mike went onto travel and see the US. She absolutely loved spending quality time with her family, friends and most of all grandkids. Cathy And Mike loved to go camping, traveling, boating, 4 wheeling and exploring. Cathy was a dedicated Christian, friend, amazing mother and extra special grandmother. She was loved by many, a true friend and always put others before herself. Cathy’s love for everyone was unconditional, she saw the best in people. Her love for God and her family was evident in every aspect of her life and who she was. She was fun, willing to try anything, always had a smile on her face and a real zest for life. Even at the end, she never wanted her family to know the pain or discomfort she felt, she was so strong and always worried about everyone else. Cathy is preceded in death by her parents Roy, Nancy Barnes, and her baby boy Hunter. Cathy is survived by her husband Mike Gruwell, her sister Linda Barnes, brothers Richard and John Barnes, her children Heather and Justin Mansell, Holly Gruwell and fiancé Albert Antonian, her grandchildren, Riley, Ranae and Reece Mansell and numerous nieces and nephews.