Catherine Joan Clum

Catherine Joan Clum died on Sunday, August 3rd, 2025 in the arms of her son, Don. Cathy’s final hours were spent surrounded by her beloved children and grandchildren, and her final minutes were with Don alone, as he held and sang to her. Cathy was born on June 4th, 1949 in Bloomfield, New Jersey to Reinhold and Catherine Schmidt, and was the youngest of their 5 children. She was two years old when they moved to Packanack Lake in Wayne, New Jersey, where her dad built their family home. She grew up playing at the lake - swimming and sunbathing in the summer, ice skating and sledding in the winter. She graduated from Wayne Valley High School, and went to beauty school thereafter. She was a talented hair stylist, and loved the community that doing hair brought. She was always a great listener, offering compassion and empathy with just enough humor to keep people smiling. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Anne Marie Marr, and her brothers James Schmidt and William Schmidt; she is survived by her brother, Michael Schmidt. When she was 24, she moved to Davenport, Iowa upon the encouragement of her brother, Michael, who was attending Palmer College of Chiropractic at the time. Soon after, he set her up on a blind date with a friend of his, Gerry Clum. She wasn’t overly impressed with Gerry, although he was head over heels for her right from the start. He won her over by purchasing concert tickets for a few months down the road; in that time, she ended up falling for him, too. Cathy married Gerry on November 2nd, 1974 in Davenport, and the newlyweds promptly moved to Marietta, Georgia, to help start Life Chiropractic College with Gerry’s mentor and friend, Dr. Sid Williams. While the college sputtered to life, Cathy and Gerry started their family, having Donald Cameron on November 23rd, 1975, Catherine “Cassie” Marie on August 6th, 1978, and Lauren Elizabeth on March 7th, 1980. In 1981, the Clum family moved to California, where Gerry served as the first president of Life Chiropractic College West, a position he held until 2011. They remained in California for the rest of their lives, building a legacy both personally and professionally. Cathy adored being a wife and mother, raising her children with a fervent love that unfortunately was lacking in her own upbringing; promising her children that there would not be a single day of their lives that they felt unloved or unworthy of her love. She followed through on that promise, as her kids’ biggest advocates and cheerleaders, in every way imaginable. Cathy was athletic and strong; she loved her home and making it beautiful. She built a home that invited her kids’ friends into it; a warm, loving place full of snacks and hugs and laughter, and the very best kitchen table to gather around. Cathy was down to earth and fiercely loving, making friends easily with nearly everyone she encountered. She wasn’t particularly tactful, and those around her knew exactly how she felt about things. She was loyal and loving, and would do absolutely anything for her family. Cathy was an incredible seamstress - she often made her own clothes growing up, being 5'10" before long lengths or tall brands were available. She even made her own wedding dress, a labor of love that was transformed 50 years later into the gorgeous gown her oldest granddaughter, Skylar, wore for the rehearsal dinner prior to marrying her beloved, Eddy Diaz. Cathy crafted countless Halloween costumes, re-sewed numerous hems and took in tons of seams, before adventuring into the world of quilting. She gifted dozens of handmade books, decorations, throws and blankets over the years for weddings, babies, birthdays and holidays, as well as many "just because" moments. Her memory lives on in these priceless keepsakes. Cathy was preceded in death by her adoring husband, Gerry, and is survived by her children, Don, Cassie and Lauren, her grandchildren, Skylar Olivia, Cameron Gerard, Alexander “Xander” James and Kaiya Rosaleen Catherine, and her great grandson, Baby Diaz. Her gorgeous smile lives on in all of her kids and grandkids, and those that knew her will never, ever doubt her love for them. May she rest in peace with her beloved, Gerry, knowing how very loved she is. A memorial will be held for Cathy on September 13th, 2025 at the Clum family home.

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