Aunt Catherine Riley- “Miss Christmas” Celebrates her 100th Birthday

Contact Staff

Born on December 24, in the wondrous little village of Trials in central Montserrat, Mrs. Catherine Riley came to be known to relatives and friends as “Miss Christmas,” but over time, they called her Aunt Catherine. On December 24, 2020, Aunt Catherine reaches the centenarian milestone and will celebrate her 100th birthday with her son Jimmy and others who are close to her.

Hailed as an “Honorary Matriarch” and a loving aunt, Aunt Catherine is described as “friendly, jovial and nice.” The thing that she loves best, up to today, is attending church as a devout Anglican. The Cathedral downtown has been her place of worship for decades and today her only deterrent is the dreaded Covid-19.

Montreal was a much different city when Aunt Catherine landed here in 1947 but she was able to stake out a place here and open the door for a long line of family to follow in her footsteps.
She worked for decades at C.P Rail’s office building downtown, while her husband worked on the trains.
Today, Aunt Catherine basks in the loving care of her son on the South Shore and still enjoys her daily conversations with relatives and friends.

One of her nieces Ms. Ethel Lake, says Aunt Catherine continues to have an insatiable appetite for politics and is always ready to offer an opinion. The two talk almost every day.
And as she continues to blossom, the one thing that those who are close to “Miss Christmas”-Aunt Catherine say is: she lives a beautiful life.