Catherine Higgins Osterman, 95, passed away peacefully April 27 2025 at Regal Care in Greenfield MA, after a long and full life. 

Born on June 18, 1929, Cathy was a beloved mother and grandmother, aunt, sister and educator. Raised in Fall River MA, the daughter of the postmaster James Higgins and Catherine Logan Higgins, she was a graduate of Sacred Heart Academy, Framingham State, and Boston University. 

An adventurous spirit, she took her first teaching job far from the city in Ashfield, where she returned later in life. She subsequently taught in Brookline where she met her husband Robert Osterman. They settled in Williamstown where Cathy raised a family of four children, and also opened a unique daycare in which tuition was based on the barter system. She also enjoyed being a docent at the Clark Art Institute. 

Cathy was a long time resident of Milton MA where she sang in the choir at St Mary of the Hills. Following her entrepreneurial spirit, she started the Hidden Treasures gift shop in W. Dennis where she summered on Cape Cod This family business had a later incarnation as the Depot Dollhouse Shop in Natick and subsequently Framingham. After her children grew up, Cathy’s lifelong love of (and expertise with) children was channelled into the role of professional nanny for newborns to first time parents. 

Besides Cape Cod, her interest in travel took her annually to Newport RI and Clearwater FL. Her zest for life and new experiences was  infectious, and she often inspired others to seek out the beauty in the world around them.

In her retirement she lived for a time with her son Joe in Ashfield where she doted on her granddaughters and was active in the Shelburne Falls Senior Center. In 2018 she starred in a short film at the Ashfield Film Festival called The Letter, in which she ventured up hill a mile into town on her power wheelchair to mail a letter, while reciting a poem on the theme “They said it couldn’t be done… so I did it.” 

While living at the Arbors in Greenfield, and subsequently at Regal Care, she participated in all available activities.

She is predeceased by her sisters Eleanor McGill and Mary Fermental, her husband Robert, and son James Timothy. 

She is survived by her children Peter, Amy, & Joseph, and her grandchildren Jaime, Zoe, Robert, Katie and Abby. She was a cornerstone of her family, and her wisdom, grace, and humor will be deeply missed.

As we bid farewell to Catherine, we reflect on a life rich with moments of joy, learning, and love. Her  legacy as an educator and matriarch will be carried forward by those who were fortunate enough to  have been touched by her remarkable spirit. Catherine H. Osterman's memory will be treasured, her  lessons remembered, and her life celebrated by all who knew her. Her journey through life was a true  inspiration, and her story will continue to be told for generations to come.

Funeral Mass at St. Mary of the Hills Church, Milton  Friday May 2nd at 11:30 am. Visiting hours at the Alfred D. Thomas Funeral Home 326 Granite Ave Milton Friday morning prior to the Mass from 10-11  Burial will follow the Mass at Milton Cemetery. 
for livestream of the funeral mass see www.Harborview.live