Catherine Elizabeth Roehl

Catherine Roehl passed away August 7 at UCSF in San Francisco, California.

The middle sister of three for parents George and Margaret (Schultz) Martin, Cathy was born January 30, 1952 in Queens, New York.  She loved to reminisce of time spent growing up in Queens and Long Island with her parents and sisters.

For her college years, Cathy moved to Athens, Ohio to attend Ohio University where she pursued a Business Communications degree, met and married the love of her life, Robert Roehl, and had her daughter, Heather Roehl.  While in Ohio, she was responsible for fundraising at PBS member Stations and was an on-air talent for WOUB/WOUC-TV.

In 1981 they moved to Southern California where Cathy started an exciting career in the film industry.

In 1991 the family decided to continue their journey north and moved to a “magical place,” Mill Valley, California.  Here Cathy found her home, a small town she loved, close to the ocean and at the feet of Redwoods.

During her extensive career in film finances, she worked with studios and independent film makers on such films as: Gandhi, Platoon, The Joy Luck Club, The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolutions, and most recently, the documentary American Heretics: The Politics of the Gospel.  With her love for film and numbers, she worked as a Film Production Finance Executive for 30 years.

She will always be remembered for her zest for life, infectious laugh, “Frank” sense of humor, optimism, and immense strength.  Having battled cancer for 40 years, she continually beat the odds and embraced life to the fullest.  She loved spending time with family, friends, and her adoring dog, Bennington.  She was a voracious reader with an insatiable curiosity.  She also loved swimming since she was a little girl.  From winning trophies as a kid in Queens to swimming laps regularly at the Marin County community pools, she loved being in the water.

Cathy is survived by her devoted husband of 45 years, Bob Roehl; her loving daughter, Heather Roehl; Heather’s partner, Matthew Kernan; and her sisters, Barbara Clark and Teresa Martin Harper.

Cathy touched everyone she met with her warmth, brightness, and beautiful smile.  She was a caring wife and the world’s best mom.  She was our best friend and she will forever be in our hearts.

There will be a private memorial in November honoring her life.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to: UCSF Foundation, PO Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145-0339 and designate on the memo line that the gift is in memory of Catherine Roehl to support Dr. Hope Rugo’s breast cancer research at UCSF.

You can also give online by visiting makeagift.ucsf.edu.