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On Jan. 20 Catherine Kandefer-Lang lost her long and courageous battle with cancer. She faced her illness the same way she lived her life, full of optimism, courage, and love. Although she will be dearly missed by her family, friends, clients, and neighbors, she would wish to be remembered with the love and joy that she always ignited in relationships, rather than sadness.

She is survived by her beloved husband, Dr. Robert Lang. She also leaves behind her daughter Stephanie (Al) Rubino and her children through marriage, Julia (Mike) Lang Peterson, Jodie Lang, Jason (Lauren) Lang, and Garrett (Katherine) Lang. In addition, she leaves her grandchildren Nikolaus and Noah Rubino, Jackson and Jade Fischbach, Jordan, Avery, and Parker Lang, and Elora and Alia Lang.

Cathy was born on July 27, 1943, in Brooklyn, New York, to the late Thomas F. and Mary Primivera Madden. She was predeceased by her brother Thomas and sister Florence and is survived by her sister Ann, with whom she had a special connection and who helped care for her throughout her illness.

Cathy received a BA and EdM with honors from Harvard University and a PhD in higher education, industrial and educational administration and law from the University of Connecticut. She worked at Eastern Connecticut State University in the Career Planning and Placement Department, where she was so effective, the president of the University recommended that she apply to the Harvard program that trained people to be a college president. Because of her outstanding leadership at the college and national organizations, the College Placement Council (now the National Association of Colleges and Employers) recruited her as second in command, where she remained for several years. There she established many close friendships that continued until her passing.

Also while there, she realized that what she really loved was being able to spend enough time with individuals to help them overcome their personal challenges in order to maximize their God-given natural skills and abilities. She intuitively knew that this would make a significant difference in their personal and professional lives so that they, as leaders, could do the same for others. Her ultimate career path was defined by her passion to make the world a better place for everyone and for Mother Earth.

In 1986, she moved to Connecticut and founded Management by Design, LLC, an international executive coaching organization. For more than 30 years she worked one-on-one, holistically, with top-level executives from many Fortune 500 companies. People who were committed to long-term personal and career growth were naturally attracted to her and leaders in corporations used her to groom future leaders. She was invigorated by her work and often commented that she could see no reason to retire and didn’t until her illness. Cathy would say it wasn’t really work at all, as she loved what she did. She never needed to advertise and didn’t have a website because she always had as many clients as she wanted from word of mouth referrals.

Throughout her life, Cathy pursued her other passions as well, whether it be her pilot’s license, designing, decorating, and overseeing the building of her home in Guilford, and, later, a cottage on Bailey Island on the Maine coast. She especially lived for her greatest passion, bringing the best out of all those she came in contact with.

She and her husband were also passionate about cultivating their spiritual growth to help themselves overcome their personal challenges so that they could better help others. They spent many “vacations” around the world to work with teachers, spiritual guides, masters, etc. on this, what she and her husband considered, the most important part of their life journey.

When she was younger she traveled extensively around the world for business, but more recently found the same joy, inspiration, and wonder walking the rocky shore of Maine, the Connecticut shoreline, or the Guilford Green. She took great pride in all of her grandchildren, always making time to attend sports games, concerts, and award ceremonies. She lived life to its fullest. Upon receiving her initial diagnosis, her first words were, “My life is so full of joy,” and, to the very end, appreciated each moment and never expressed regrets.

Cathy established and maintained many deep and meaningful relationships through family, work, and the community. She was a natural caretaker that supported her family, colleagues, friends and neighbors through the trials and tribulations of their lives. When she was ill, she found solace in the way that so many of these people supported her. Each person that reached out to her with comforting words, spent time keeping her company, and provided medical care and comfort should know how much it meant to her that she felt loved and cared for until the end.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Save the Children. A celebration of Cathy’s life will take place later this Spring.