January 2026

BEYOND THE VILLAGE - Catherine Deely

BEYOND THE VILLAGE – CATHERINE DEELY

In March 1990, 13 works of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.  The crime remains unsolved, with empty frames on the walls of the museum, reminding visitors of the biggest museum theft in the history of the United States.

Village member Catherine (Cathy) Deely worked at the Gardner Museum for five years beginning in 1993, where she was the Director of Marketing and Public Relations. At a recent Members Connection on Zoom, Cathy treated viewers to a virtual tour of this unique and very personal museum, and shared details about the art theft and its impact on the art world. Watch it here.

Catherine has had a long and varied career, working mostly in large corporate venues, focused on Marketing, Public Relations, and Media Affairs. Her work also included a stint as Director of Marketing for the City of Los Angeles under Mayor Richard Riordan.

Although Cathy has lived on the East Coast, where she has family, she moved “for the last time” to Altadena at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. She joined the Pasadena Village after she noticed a group of people walking down her street one morning – the Urban Walkers group. She participates in the Great Decisions discussion group, the 1619 group, and enjoys the trips to LA Opera.

Not one to sit idle in retirement, Catherine has joined other local groups. She is a member of the League of Women Voters of Pasadena where she is on the policing subcommittee. And as a member of All Saints Church she is a monitor for foster family visits. She also volunteers to recruit more foster families and to support those young people who are aging out of the foster care system.

“I am so grateful to be in Altadena, with its beauty and its diversity.  And I’m looking forward to making new friends at Pasadena Village.”