Cathy Bouffard

Cathy Mervane Whyte Bouffard passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, December 12, 2019. She was born in Wausau to Mervane (Hovden) and William J. Whyte on May 3, 1949. The family moved to Aurora, IL in 1957 where she grew up and graduated from West High School and then went on to get her B.S. degree in Mathematics from Northern Illinois.

Cathy loved working with numbers and after moving back to Wausau in 1984, she took a job with River Valley Bank (now Incredible Bank) as the Bookkeeping Manager. Her department was responsible for the integrity and accuracy of customer accounts, as well as many of the regulatory reports required by the agencies governing banking. She was instrumental in converting customer information to new software and was deeply involved in the purchase of several banks. Cathy was promoted to Assistant Vice President and after 30 years of service she retired in January of 2016.

Cathy was a perfectionist in her work, in her entertaining, in her appearance and in whatever she did. She was a loving and compassionate woman who delighted in sharing her masterful culinary skills with friends and family, entertaining with elegance and aplomb.

Next to cooking she loved the Northwoods. Her love began at an early age when she visited her grandparents on Plum Lake in Sayner. After retiring she was thrilled to be able to spend her summers at her beloved lakeside cottage. She also loved music and hardly missed a day playing the piano. Most of all Cathy loved her dog, Molly.

Cathy loved life and loved to laugh, and in spite of health problems, always stayed positive and hopeful. She is survived by her half brother, William J. Whyte (Nita), Minneapolis, MN; her half sister, Bonnie Free (Dexter), Barrington, IL; and her aunt and uncle, Mary Jane and Allen Hettinga, Lac du Flambeau, WI. She is also survived by nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, January 6, 2020 at Brainard’s Eastside Chapel, 522 Adams Street, Wausau. Visitation will be held from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm with services following. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial gifts to the Marathon County Humane Society of Wausau, 7001 Packer Drive, Wausau, WI 54401