Catherine McGuigan Hursh Pfeiffer, age 95, died at Mineral Springs Rehab, North Conway, NH on January 14, after a period of declining health. Catherine is survived by her husband of 73 years, Ralph; her children, John Pfeiffer (Bev) of Silver Spring MD, Kathleen Wishard (William) of Corona CA, Margaret Phillips (Lee) of Jackson, NH, and David Pfeiffer (Stephanie) of Winthrop, MA, ten grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her brother, Robert D. Hursh, and her infant son, James Gerald.
Catherine was born on August 26, 1922 in Philadelphia, PA, daughter of Dr. Alexander M.W. Hursh and Grace Devers Hursh. She graduated from Richmond Hill High School, attended St. Joseph’s College for Women in Brooklyn, and graduated from Peter Bent Brigham Hospital School of Nursing in 1944. After 20 years as a fulltime homemaker and volunteer, she returned to Brigham & Women’s Hospital, retiring over 20 years later in 1987. She was most proud of her achievements as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the division of plastic and reconstructive surgery under Nobel-prize winning surgeon Joseph Murray.
Most of her married life was spent in Natick, MA where she helped lead and found many church and civic organizations, including Pax Christi, the Catholic peace organization, St. Patrick’s Catholic Women’s Club, Ladies Sodality, Adoration Chapel, and Seamless Garment Movement to foster a consistent life ethic, the Natick Mother’s Club, the Natick Girl Scouts, the Congregational Church Couples Club, and the Natick Junior Women’s Club. She loved working with children as a volunteer teacher of religious education at every grade level at St. Patrick’s, leader of Girl Scout Troop 25, and director of Camp Nacochwa. She was co-leader of the Peace and Justice Committee at St Patrick’s for many years. Throughout her life, she sought to promote peace and the consistent life ethic. With Ralph, she traveled the world extensively and helped lead many tours to the Holy Land and other religious sites.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Noon, Monday, January 22, 2018 at St. Patrick’s Church, 44 East Central Street, Natick. Interment will follow at Dell Park Cemetery.
Visiting hours at John Everett & Sons Funeral Home, 4 Park Street at Natick Common, on Monday prior to service from 9:30 to 11:30 A.M.
In lieu of flowers, Catherine wanted donations to be made to Brigham & Women’s Hospital Brain and Neurosciences Research at 116 Huntington Ave, 3rd Fl. Boston, MA 02116.