Catherine Elizabeth Cobham Richards

It is with the saddest of hearts we say bon-voyage to our beautiful baby girl Catherine who left us too soon. A freer sprit would be hard to find.

Catherine was born Easter Sunday April 3rd, 1988. He mom Valerie, dad Bruce and big brother David welcomed her with open arms. She was in a hurry to be born that Easter Sunday, and she lived life with that same energy ever since.

In her younger years, Catherine grew up in Millidgeville, where she formed lifelong friendships, especially with her beloved ‘neighbourettes’. She graduated from Saint John High School in 2006, where she enjoyed extracurricular activities including basketball and soccer.  Catherine went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in 2010, followed by a degree in Environmental Engineering from Dalhousie University.

She spent several years working as an engineer in Western Canada, where she was able to pursue one of her great loves, skiing. While the mountains drew her west, the ocean always brought her home for the summer, where she could return to her other passion, sailing.  Catherine and her brother often sailed the Bay of Fundy and along the coasts of Nova Scotia and Maine. Catherine loved to travel the world and met many people along the way, many of whom remained lifelong friends. She also had a deep love for animals, despite her ‘allergies’, and adopted several cats over the years.

Catherine grew up at the Royal Kennebeccasis Yacht Club, likely her parents’ fault, as they had her on a boat before she was a month old. She took sailing lessons at the RKYC, and later taught sailing to many over the years. She loved racing dinghies and was selected twice to represent New Brunswick at the Canada Games in the single-handed Laser Radial class. She also raced keelboats internationally, including events in France and the Newport to Bermuda Race.

Catherine’s family would like to thank the emergency responders, and staff at the Saint John Regional Hospital for the care and compassion they showed her in her final days. Thank you one and all.  To our family and friends, your love and support have meant everything, we don’t know what we would have done without you.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care and direction of Fundy Funeral Home, 230 Westmorland Road, Saint John, NB (506-646-2424).  A celebration of Catherine’s life will be held on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the Royal Kennebeccasis Yacht Club from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Please come and share your stories of Catherine.

In keeping with Catherine’s loving and generous spirit, donations in her memory may be made to the RKYC Learn to Sail Program or the Saint John Community Food Basket, where she had recently been volunteering.  Donations to the RKYC Learn to Sail program can be sent by e-transfer to office@rkyc.ca with the message saying ‘Donation to RKYC Learn to Sail on behalf of Catherine Richards’.  Donations to the Saint John Community Food Basket can be made on their website www.saintjohnfoodbasket.org.