Catherine (Cathie) Faye Pucheu Karcher age 72 of Santa Rosa, California passed away Sunday May 14, 2023 surrounded by loved ones, after a fall in her home on Friday. She is remembered by friends and family as big hearted, easygoing, funny, generous, adventurous, and loving.

Cathie was born on April 16, 1951, the daughter of Peter John Pucheu and Phyllis Maureen Harmon Pucheu, in Fresno, California. After graduating from Tranquillity High School in 1969, she attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History. While there, she met her future husband Robert (Bob) Gary Karcher.

After graduation in 1973, she stayed one more year to obtain her teaching credential for secondary education. She then moved to San Francisco and married Bob on December 15, 1974.

Cathie worked in the insurance industry before starting to raise her family in 1982. However, her passion always remained in educating young children. After her own children were old enough to attend school, Cathie substitute taught in public schools and then became a full time preschool teacher at Tamalpais Preschool in 1990. She served on the preschool’s Board of Trustees and was later elected to serve on the School Board for the Mill Valley Unified School District. She continued teaching at the preschool for more than 30 years, in both full-time and substitute capacities, until her retirement.

In retirement, Cathie loved to travel – primarily via cruise ships – to many parts of the world. She also loved her cats, golf, reading, gardening, walking dogs at the Marin Humane, and docenting at the top of Mount Tam’s East Peak 'Gravity Car Barn.' Her greatest joy, though, came from spending time with her two granddaughters, Emery and Vivian. She recently moved to Santa Rosa to be nearer to them after 48 years in Mill Valley, California.

Her parents predeceased her. Her husband, children John and Christy (Forrest Harper), grandchildren Emery (8) and Vivian (6) Harper and her brother Mike Pucheu of Tranquillity, California, survive her.

A celebration of life will occur on July 29th at the Karcher home in Santa Rosa. 

In lieu of flowers, please donate in her honor to either Marin Humane https://www.marinhumane.org/ or Friends of Mt. Tam https://www.friendsofmttam.org

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