Catherine Violette

Waterville - Catherine G. Violette, 87, peacefully passed away on Wednesday, September 9th, with her loving daughters by her side, after a brief, yet courageous battle with cancer.

Catherine was born in the foothills of the Great Smoky mountains in the small town of Waynesville, North Carolina on December 14th, 1938, to Burnett Smith and Nina Lunsford.

Catherine was a country girl at heart with a great fondness for music and dancing. All of her family played instruments and sang. She said it was not unusual to see everyone gathered together on the front porch on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon after church, singing and dancing. Because the family had little money, that is how they entertained themselves. As a young woman, she briefly taught dancing at Arthur Murray Studios and sang at local nightclubs on the weekends. Her love of music, singing and dancing transferred over to her daughter's and their families.

Later, she relocated to Norfolk Virginia where she met her future husband Donald C. Noel, a career Navy man. They had two beautiful daughters Christal and Velvet. While married, she focused on raising her children and doing acts of charity for the needy. Her father had been involved in Pastoral Care which had inspired her to be aware of the underprivileged. She led by example and her love of helping the impoverished transferred over to her daughters.

Later, she married Mike Violette of Waterville, a radio personality and sports castor, whom she was married to for 10 years. During this time, she was a Psychiatric Social worker for Catholic Charities, working with the chronically mentally ill. Together they spent countless hours making memories with family.

She later married Loney Grant, an Army specialist. They enjoyed sharing life stories, traveling, going to movies and out to eat. After he died from cancer, she focused primarily on her family.

Catherine's pride and joy were her family! She never missed a birthday or special event and relished all the family get togethers! Her family was her "treasure". Even though she had been in Maine 40-plus years, she still had her Southern accent and Southern charm. She was famous in the family for her Southern green and pinto beans, cast iron cornbread, mile high apple pie, coleslaw, peach cobbler, biscuits and gravy, and Southern sweet tea! Her biggest life desire was that everybody would come to know Jesus, and it was her personal mission to share her love of Him with others by means of stories and experiences, or her missionary endeavors that she did from home. We hope that people will most remember our mom from her love of helping others, her love of her family and of course her big smile and Southern charm!

She is predeceased by her parents Mr. and Mrs. Burnett Smith, and her brother Robert Smith, all of North Carolina.

She is survived by her two sisters
Freedith Earnhardt and her daughter Tracey Randall, of North Carolina, and Linda Church and her partner John, of Greer, South Carolina, and many other loving relatives from North Carolina!

She is also survived by her daughters Christal Noel-Cook and her husband Rick Cook, both of Florida (formerly Waterville, Maine) and son Christopher Colucci and wife Tiffany, and their children Bella and Anthony, all of Skowhegan, and daughter Velvet Noel of Waterville, and her daughter Ashley Noel, and her two children De'Andre and Amaya, all of Waterville.

My mom and my sister and I would like to sincerely thank her personal care workers of 3 years, June Palmer and Cheryl Paddack of Waterville. We would also like to thank the staff at Thayer Internal Medicine, Maine General Medical Center, and Alfond Cancer Center. We would also like to extend deep appreciation for all the Maine General Medical Center Hospice workers who helped to make our mother's health transition easier. We could not have done it without them! My sister and I are also deeply grateful for all the loving prayers and many good wishes for our mom. She was so very grateful for them. We are also thankful for everyone, friends and family, who came to visit or help our Mom in her final days. We feel so blessed to have experienced all the recent loving and beautiful memories and will keep them with us in our hearts forever! Thank you also to Gallant Funeral Home who added personal touches to help make our experience easier.

A celebration of life will be held at the home of her daughter, Velvet Noel of Waterville, on Saturday the 19th from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm, hosted by her daughters. Please stop by for a bite and/or to share a favorite memory. A funeral service will be held in the Veteran's Chapel on Monday, the 21st at 10:00 a.m. at the Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, 163 Mt. Vernon Rd., Augusta.

Arrangements are under the direction and care of Gallant Funeral Home, 10 Elm Street, Waterville. An online guestbook may be signed; condolences and memories shared at www.gallantfh.com.

Donations in her memory can be made to: Maine General Medical Hospice of Waterville, the Homeless Shelter of Waterville, the Waterville Animal Shelter, and/or St. Jude.