It is with sorrow and gratitude that we mark the passing of Catherine A. "Cathy" Rieger of Erie, PA — sorrow at the loss, gratitude for the life.
The following words honor a life that mattered to many.
A parent's life is measured, in part, by the lives she shaped.
Catherine A. "Cathy" (Winiarczyk) Rieger, age 64, of Erie, passed away on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, after a 6 year long battle with dementia. Born in Erie on October 10, 1961, she was the daughter of John and Rosemary (Letizo) Winiarczyk.
Cathy graduated from St. Benedict's Academy. She worked in the cafeteria at Blessed Sacrament School for several years. She enjoyed hosting parties and gatherings, making cookies for weddings, and organizing Easter egg hunts. She enjoyed spending time with her lifelong friends Chris, Halle, and Kim as well as her dog, Lexi. She was also known for hitting slot machine jackpots. She loved to travel and see new places, among living abroad in Japan and had a lifelong goal of visiting all 50 states! Above all else, Cathy will be remembered for being a mother and grandmother and loving her grandchildren more than anything else.
She was preceded in death by her sister, Christine Fedei, and her father-in-law, Norman Rieger.
Besides her parents, she is survived by her husband Jeffrey Rieger; three children, Crystal Rieger, husband Jason Hewitt, Ashley Callihan, husband David, and Ryan Rieger; a sister, Cindy Milhisler, her mother-in-law, Geraldine (Driscoll) Rieger; four grandchildren, Graham and Quinn Hewitt and Lillian and Ellisyn Callihan; and several nieces, nephews, and brother and sister in-laws.
Friends may call on Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Brugger Funeral Homes & Crematory, 1595 West 38th St. and may attend services there at 1 p.m. on Saturday followed by a funeral mass at Our Lady of Peace Church at 1:30 p.m. Entombment will follow at Calvary Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N Michigan Ave. Floor 17 Chicago, IL 60601.
