Catherine C. "Cathie" Tardy

Catherine Cecilia Tardy, age 80, of St. Charles, passed away on Friday, May 3, at Silverado Memory Care in St. Charles, surrounded by loved ones.

Cathie lived life out loud. She inspired so many with her boundless energy, adventurous-can-do attitude, quick wit, sage wisdom, and unyielding “what’s the worst that can happen?” optimism. She was feisty, funny, and unapologetically generous.

Born on October 20, 1943, in Chicago, Cathie was the spicy daughter of Charles and Marion (Mailhout) Dunlevy. She grew up on the west side of Chicago with her three siblings, Lydia, David, and Paul. During high school, Cathie met Bill Tardy, her first husband, who was attending seminary school to become a priest. Because she was such a catch, he altered his plans to create a life with her. They married in 1965 and moved to Park Ridge to start a family. But the desire for land and the experience of raising children in the country pulled them to St. Charles, where they founded a small farm with horses, cows, pigs, chickens, two dogs, 40 cats, and a treasure trove of stories. 

Cathie’s journey pivoted when she discovered her passion for real estate in 1984. She was a realtor for over 30 years, initially with First United and then Baird & Warner. In 1987, she was named Illinois Realtor of the Year. In 1992, she became a Managing Broker of the Geneva Baird & Warner office and then in the late 1990s a co-Manager of the combined Fox Valley Baird & Warner office with her best friend and mentor, Shirley Newman. Together, they magnificently managed and mentored over 100 realtors. In 2002, Cathie was inducted onto the Illinois Board of Realtors. As a Managing Broker, she taught real estate classes to strategically identify and recruit the best of the best to join Baird & Warner. Cathie officially retired from real estate in 2018. Her realtors became not only friends but family.

Always eager to try new things, Cathie embraced a multitude of hobbies and adventures during her life. She enjoyed sewing, knitting, quilting, painting, basket-weaving, collecting antiques, shopping, and exercising. Between 2005-2014, she participated six times in the annual “Hustle Up the Hancock” event, climbing the 95 flights of stairs in the John Hancock building with her friend Katherine Bendix. She loved her daily walks to Starbucks, talking to everyone whose eyes she met, and traveling the world. Cathie always had a ticket in her hand to faraway destinations and her yearly sojourn to Beaver Island, Michigan, to where her great-grandfather immigrated from Ireland.

Her steadfast love and dedication to her children were evident throughout her life and demonstrated most profoundly in 1991 when she donated a kidney to her youngest daughter Darcy, ultimately saving her life. True to character, Cathie rarely spoke of her remarkably selfless act, needing neither recognition nor praise.

After she was widowed at 60, she courageously ventured into online dating and found her second love, Allan Maier, thanks to It’s Just Lunch. Allan gave her a new lease on life. Together, they spent weekends in Chicago and winters in Florida, enjoying books, movies, traveling, wine & cheese, and great restaurants.

Cathie is preceded in death by her first husband, William A. Tardy, her parents, and her brother, David. She is survived by her devoted husband, Allan Maier; her loving children, Ann (Robert Rosiello) Tardy, Carson Tardy, and Darcy (Diego) Negro; her adoring grandchildren, Joaquin and Lucia Negro and Parker Tardy; and her dear siblings, Lydia (John) Waterloo and Paul Dunlevy.

Her vibrant personality, signature Thunderbird convertible, impeccable fashion style, fondness for Starbucks coffee, affinity for oaky Chardonnay, and trademark cherry red nails will forever be etched in our memories.

Cathie’s remarkable life will be celebrated on Saturday, May 25, 2024, where friends and family will gather to honor her legacy and share cherished memories. For further details, please reach out to the family directly.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation would be deeply appreciated: www.macular.org

Arrangements entrusted to Malone Funeral Home in Geneva.

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