Catherine A. Maley December 03, 1934 – February 01, 2019 Share this obituary Sign Guestbook Dr. Catherine “Cappy” Anne Maley was born on December 3, 1934 in St. Paul, MN and passed away on February 1, 2019 in St. Paul, MN. Her parents were Clarence and Gertrude Maley. Catherine grew up with a fascination for languages after hearing her father speak French and her Aunt Isabel Spanish.
After graduating from Cretin-Derham Hall High School, she enrolled in the University of Minnesota to study foreign languages and became a member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. In 1964 she went to the University of Michigan to earn her master’s degree and then her doctorate in Romance Linguistics in 1970. That same year she moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to teach.
Catherine was Professor Emerita of French and Romance Linguistics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her distinguished career in academia saw many accolades along the way. In 1985 she was recognized by the Durham Hall Alumnae Association with the Carondelet Award in recognition of her significant professional success.
In recognition of her work in French linguistics and her service to French-American cultural relations, the French Education Ministry appointed Professor Maley in 1994 as a foreign member (Chevalier) of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques. She also served as associate dean of the graduate school and director of the UNC Year-at-Montpellier, a junior year Study Abroad in France program. A champion of gender equality, Catherine was very passionate about the advancement of women.
She was an avid traveller, spending the greater part of her leisure time visiting friends and relatives, hitting the slopes of Aspen, eating tapas in Madrid, whale watching in Alaska or barbequing in the land down under. She loved to see the world and absorb cultures, language and human experiences. She is survived by her brother, John (Karen) Maley, Easton, MD, as well as her many nieces and nephews: Thomas Maley Jr. Missoula, MT, Jeanne (Bob) Meyer, Osceolo, WI, Michael (Doreen) Maley, Redding, CA, Patti (Bob) Campbell, Robins, GA, Kathleen (Sven) Gustafson, Anchorage, AK, Sharon Herbelin, Vancouver, WA; Mark Benolken, St. Paul, MN; Julie (Rob) Benolken, St. Paul, MN; Carolyn Benolken, Portland, OR; Laura Maley, Pisa, Italy, Peter Maley, Chillicothe, IL; many great nieces and nephews, and her childhood friend, Marisa de Andrés, Madrid, Spain.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the IFA Fund in honor of Catherine Maley at the Society for French Historical Studies: www. societyforfrenchhistoricalstudies.net/donations1/, Chinard Book Prize/IFA Research Awards Fund. A Celebration of Life will be held to remember Catherine on August 10, 2019 from 10:00-12:00 a.m. in the President’s Dining Room of the Coeur de Catherine building of St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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