Leon D. Cathey

October 11, 1932 - September 24, 2022

EDUCATOR –

LEON CATHEY

On Sept 24, 2022, Leon D. Cathey died at home in Santa Rosa, Cal. Born Oct 11, 1932 in San Diego, to Master Sgt. Joseph Cathey and Barbara Nina Dennison, the second son and fourth child, he was proud of his African-American and Filipino heritage. His mother was a Rosie the Riveter in an airplane factory during World War II. His stepfather, Stanley Norris, was a Pearl Harbor survivor. After a short time in Los Angeles, they moved to San Francisco in the mid-1940s.

Living in Fillmore and Haight-Ashbury, Leon attended Polytechnic H.S. Sports were a lifelong passion, and he participated in both JV and Varsity football, as well as Track and Field, setting an all-City record in standing long-jump.

At San Francisco State College he earned a BS in Biology. This was the start of a life in education. He became a biology teacher with San Francisco Unified School District in 1958. A long tenure at George Washington H.S. from 1962-1976 was his favorite time with SFUSD. His MA in Marine Biology was delayed by the student strike of 1968, in which he proudly participated. He went on to teach Civics and Spanish at Galileo H.S. He also pursued a second love as an avid Bay Area sailor, with Dan Gonzalez, Dan Begonia, Joe Holder and other friends.

In pursuit of excellence, Leon re-enrolled at SF State University. He further extended his educational profile at Stockholm University from 1976-1979, later returning to SFSU for an MA in Geography, and an MA in Ethnic Studies. He became a lecturer in the College of Ethnic Studies at SFSU for nearly 15 years. During the 1990s to 2005, he taught in the Pre-College program at Sonoma State University.

While at SFSU, Leon met Donna Schlarb, who became his long-time partner. In 1991 they made a home in Santa Rosa and were renowned for their hospitality and gardens. Traveling across America, they made many friends in Wisconsin, South Dakota and across the Pacific Northwest. They also frequently cruised to Mexico, Alaska, and Panama. Jazz music and street festivals were favorite haunts.

Throughout life Leon enjoyed time with high school friends, extended family from the Philippines, and students and alumni from his teaching years. Ever the teacher, he would spontaneously share knowledge, with a seemingly encyclopedic fluency in life science and history.

Leon is survived by Donna, his daughters Lorraine Patricia and Arlene Elizabeth, and grandson Malcolm Cathey-Barbour. He is also survived by lifelong friends Lawrence Diggs, Vince Gomez, James Joseph, Kevin Leong, Linda Tabor-Beck, and dozens of others. All recall his listening closely, remembering their dreams, and celebrating life together. Like a good jazz musician, Leon learned that improvisation comes from strong structure. He held fast to core values and played that riff well.