Catherine R. Wiedmann

Catherine Rose Wiedmann

On Thursday, August 13, 2020, after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for 20 years, Catherine Rose Wiedmann passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 78 in Frederick, Maryland.  Catherine was born in Staten Island, New York on August 18, 1941, the daughter of the late Charles Barbara and Eugenia Gansiesky Barbara.  She attended New York College of Music and graduated in 1964 with a degree in piano.  She performed many concerts with one of the most memorable occurring at Carnegie Hall in New York City.  Catherine made a point of sharing her love of music with her children, playing full albums from the Beatles, to Elvis, Barbara Streisand, and many other popular and classical artists on numerous weekend afternoons.  Throughout the late 70s and 80s, Catherine brought her children to New York City to attend matinees to share the gift of musical theatre with her children.  These trips to NYC did so much more than entertain, as they provided a richness and depth to life.

A proud mother of three children, Catherine taught piano while raising her children.  She had a love of gardening and adorned the entrance to her home with many flowers.  In her later years, Catherine returned to work as a bookkeeper at the Arc of Somerset in Manville, NJ.  The care and love for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities held deep meaning for her, and her time there, though cut short by illness, captured her lifetime of empathy and compassion.  While Catherine’s suffering from Alzheimer’s denied her the ability to serve others, she left an indelible mark on her family and community.  Catherine will be remembered as a selfless mom and as a powerful voice of love and compassion.

Catherine was predeceased by her husband, Ludwig J. Wiedmann.  She is survived by her beloved children, James Wiedmann and his wife Ilana, of Kensington, Maryland, Stephen Wiedmann and his wife, Amanda of San Antonio, Texas; Lisa Wiedmann Chaconas, and her husband, William Chaconas, of New Market, Maryland; her brother Charles Barbara; her brother Gerald Barbara and sister-in-law, Marie Barbara; her niece Nicole; her nephew Christopher; her grandchildren Emily, Mason, Ruby, Luke, and Leo; and many other extended family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Catherine’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association, (www.alz.org ), a leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research.

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