In my search to find all Senior Class of 1968ers for the 50^th Reunion, I got reacquainted with Cathy through Facebook.  While I am not a big fan of Big Tech or all the garbage on social media, Facebook has provided me the opportunity to reconnect and get to know many of you as adults.  Cathy’s story fascinated me, as I hope it does you, and inspired me to include her in the Classmate Chronicles portion of our web site.

If I were to summarize Cathy’s experiences, I would call it a “quatrain’ which is a poem of four lines or four lines per stanza.  So, each section below is titled as a line from Cathy’s life quatrain.  They also happen to be a song title.  Funny how that works.

Oh DUBUQUE, Oh DUBUQUE, how you make me quiver …

Catherine Mary Avery was the eldest child of eight, born on October 10, 1950, in Dubuque, Iowa, at Finley Hospital to Bud and Mary Avery.

Being the oldest child is always a challenge, and especially in a large family; so many challenges, distractions, interruptions, etc.  In my conversations with Cathy, one thing about her childhood which would influence her for the rest of her life stood out - ART.  “Growing up in Dubuque, as the oldest of eight in the Avery Family, art was our affordable pastime. My brother Jim Avery was a sculptor/inventor and master of all the arts in my hometown of Dubuque, Iowa and my brother Chuck Avery is an acclaimed photographer in Minneapolis.”  Significantly, the Arts would follow Cathy throughout her life.

As many Dubuquers she attended Catholic schools (Nativity, St. Pats and Wahlert) until her sophomore year when our good fortune brought her to Senior.  And that is where our story really begins.

Most of the first two years at Senior were not terribly memorable for Cathy (or probably the rest of us for that matter).  Worked in the library; tried out for cheerleader, maybe a couple of other things, but nothing of real note.  Her senior year was a little more interesting.  She tried out for varsity cheerleading (again) and this time made it; she ran (unsuccessfully) for Class of 1968 President; and she was elected to the Homecoming Queen Court. 

And then along came the infamous, and very memorable September 25^th “Protest” in which she played a larger role.

The stage for the Protest was probably set during the summer of 1967.  It has often been described as the “Long Hot Summer,” probably after a 1958 movie of the same name.  As Cathy describes it, “The summer before our senior year was the summer of discontent, riots in Newark and Detroit, chaos and unrest were building across the country especially amongst the Black community.”

The riots and racial unrest weren’t all; she left out Vietnam (at 475,000 troops with 20,000 total deaths), the Draft, LBJ, and the Arab/Israeli 6-day War. All added to the “summer of discontent.”  But then it was also the “Summer of Love” with thousands of young people moving west, many to the Haight-Ashbury District of San Francisco to explore and experience the free love / psychedelic drug culture it offered.  What a time it was for us to grow up, to come of age!

Back to Cathy and the Protest.  She remembers it this way, “The day the walkout was staged was a pep rally day, so I had on my uniform. I knew nothing of the plans until I got on the Clark Drive bus to school and everyone was talking about it and wanted to know if I knew anything? I didn’t! Till this day I don’t know who initiated the walkout, but we were all upset about the surprise name change to JD High or as people were calling it, ‘Juvenile Delinquent High School.’

“From the walk out at the bell ringing, the crowd went to the football field, then marched down to the Board of Education.

 

Wahlert was the next stop for the radicals.  “I didn’t go until asked to help. I guess the uniform added authority.  Gus Pascual and I went in a convertible to try to get the students back.”  But as you all know; no good deed goes unpunished.  “I was supposed to get suspended but the as you well know intersessions were made, much to the chagrin of Dean Russo.”

We all know how the Protest ended, with the students gathering petition signatures of over 10,000 people, almost ¼ of the entire population of Dubuque at the time.  But Cathy in her cheerleader uniform eventually paid the price for incurring the Dean’s anger.  “(Dean Russo) a few weeks later did suspend me for wearing a culotte dress, because we were getting pictures taken for the Homecoming program.  She was furious.”  Culottes?  Suspended?  Really?  Have you seen what they wear today?  Oh well, I’m starting to sound like my parents; back to Cathy’s story.

After graduation Cathy planned to pursue a degree in Physical Education from the University of Northern Iowa.  But as with many of us, the plans and expectations did not match reality.  After her first year, she returned to Dubuque where she attended “part time Loras and U of Dubuque in Theatre and Art.  Worked full or part time to help fund the college experience, hence the long time it took to get the sheepskin.”

It was at the U of D where she experienced her “brush with fame” as she calls it, “working with Kate Mulgrew at UD Summer Theater.  I was doing costumes, lighting, set design and posters.”

My Kinda Town, CHICAGO!

In 1973 fate gave Cathy a nudge, letting her know there was something larger awaiting her in life.  “I was planning to go to the Academy of Art in San Francisco.  Life gives you opportunities or forks in the road.”  While helping two friends who had just graduated from the U of D move to Chicago, she applied for a job and got it.  “But after a year in the suburbs I wanted something in the city.  I got a job as the secretary for the only woman VP of Playboy (Marilyn Smith) who was head of Marketing for Playboy Clubs International.”  As Cathy goes on to tell it, “After several months I got more duties and more money, I started organizing the gift shop catalogs etc.  After a year I was eligible for the $2000 grant towards education and talked to my boss about going to school and switching to the club working nights so I could attend classes during the day. She ended up creating a new job with flexible hours so I could attend Loyola. The new job was Customer Service Rep. I was the info girl, reservations, membership, and greeter. I did meet a lot of celebrities. It was fun and a means to an end.”

I asked Cathy to drop names of the celebrities she met.  She only gave me one name.  “Bill Cosby was one, and the girls cringed when his name came up. That’s all I’m going to say.”  Nuff said!

In 1974, while still working full time for Playboy, Cathy took her next big step in career development and enrolled at Loyola. “I was an Art Major prior to Loyola, changing my major to Communications with emphasis on TV Production.  My boss gave me a flexible schedule to suit my studies. I graduated on the Dean’s List in June 1977 with a BA in Communications.

“Playboy had no jobs relating to my major, so I began my search for a TV-related job, which was impossible, as all graduates know. You can’t even get a foot in the door as a grunt because your overqualified with no experience.  My future husband’s father worked at a brokerage firm at the Mercantile, and I got hired as a summer intern runner on the exchange floor. My most exciting day was when I took an order to the Pork Belly pit. Someone lost balance and fell taking down the whole pit, 30 guys in ugly jackets sprawled in the pit and outside the risers!  Trading was halted for several minutes while order was re-established. (You can see the Pork Belly Pit in action in the movie, Trading Places” (click on the name for a link to the scene). Sadly, trading in the Pork Belly Pit went electronic in 2007; so much for good movie scenes!

In September of that year (1977) Cathy got a big break in her pursuit of a television-related job.  “I finally got an interview with Needham Harper & Steers. Advertising” (Later Needham et al merged with Doyle Dane Burnbach, better known as DDB, the advertising agency).  “The job was for a secretary/scheduler in the Audio/Visual department. They didn’t want to hire me because I would find my way down to the creative department and they would have to hire someone again. I basically begged and promised I wouldn’t ask for a promotion for a year.  I got hired and three months later was promoted to Test Commercial Production, making test commercials for General Mills, Kraft, SC Johnson to name a few.  Within three years I had my own department, Presentations Services.”

About that time Cathy met and married Kenneth St. Jean.  She even made time to attend our 10^th Reunion where she won the Newest Married Classmate prize!  And though she was immersed in the chaotic and domineering world of business, she maintained her passion for the Arts.  The ReEcho listed her many hobbies as “Collecting Graphic Art Prints, painting, dress designing, sewing and growing big plants.”  With her busy work life, it is truly a miracle she had any time for them.

Life in Chicago was good, but once again life gave Cathy another opportunity (or fork in the road if you prefer).  “In 1982 I was requested by the Chairman, Paul Harper, to come to New York and set up Corporate Presentations.  We did New Business presentations, Board of Directors speeches, Corporate Retreats, etc.”

And so, ends the second line of Cathy’s quatrain.  On to the third.

Start spreading the news… NEW YORK, NEW YORK

In 1983 Cathy moved to New York City to continue her work with DBB where her rising star began to shine brighter.  It was while she was working for DBB that she joined a professional organization, Advertising Women of New York (AWNY).  With her cheerful and “can do” attitude, she was voted onto the Board of Directors, where she chaired the annual Foundation Fundraiser at the Lincoln Center in Lincoln Center.  Whether it was serendipity, fate (think opportunity) or just plain dumb luck, the AWNY Foundation Fundraiser became a big stepping-stone to her next career move.

“This Lincoln Center event is how I got to know and cherish my future business partner, Anne-Marie Marcus.  We did this event (Foundation Fundraiser) at Lincoln Center in Avery Fisher Hall for 14 years, always waiting for the Philharmonic to finish rehearsal so we could set up…  While on the Board we raised over 1 million dollars for the charities of AWNY Foundation.”

In December of 1990, Cathy saw yet another opportunity to accept a position as Senior Vice President – Director of Lintas Worldwide; as she puts it, “I got an incredible offer of bigger title and money.”  But the position at Lintas held some unexpected surprises for her.  “When I arrived, we were hemorrhaging accounts like IBM and Coke. It was a continual layoff and cut back job. I was considered the hatchet lady; I fired over 100 people in 2 years alone.  I’ve heard it said, “Hardship builds character.”  Cathy had already had enough character building!  In 1995, “When they asked me to cut my salary, I said no thank you, adios.” 

After leaving Lintas Cathy applied for a White House Fellowship.  “I thought this would be a grand opportunity to jump out of the comfort zone.  I was turned down, but in the process of filling out the application I learned a lot about myself and what I had achieved. I was disappointed in the rejection, but happy with my path so far.”  She still keeps that rejection letter.                    

Then in April of 1996 Cathy attended the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival as a US Representative, as she had done for 12 years.  After Lintas, she had done a freelance job for the Festival which turned into a full-time job.  “I did marketing projects for the International Advertising Festival, based in Cannes, France, to boost participation in the annual Festival held each year the end of June, a month after the Movie Film Festival in the same venue.  I reported to my soon to be business partner, Anne-Marie Marcus.”

The professional relationship with Anne-Marie spawned yet another life “opportunity” for Cathy.  In February of 1998, she and Anne-Marie took an equity position (or in laymen’s terms, “bought into”) Judy Wald Associates, Inc., a world-famous, international recruiting firm for advertising agencies.  Judy Wald was highly respected as a recruiter on Madison Avenue during the famous “Mad Men” period.  Shortly after the transaction, Cathy and Ann-Marie renamed the business “Marcus St. Jean.”  “We were an international firm, doing a lot of business in England, Germany and France.  Marcus St. Jean was, and still, is one of the most respected Creative Career Management Firms in the Advertising Business.”“Marcus St. Jean.”  “We were an international firm, doing a lot of business in England, Germany and France.  Marcus St. Jean was, and still, is one of the most respected Creative Career Management Firms in the Advertising Business.”

But then came the fork in the road – September 11, 2001.

By this time, Cathy had been in the New York City for about 18 years, enjoying all the accoutrements (and annoyances) of living in a large metropolitan, cosmopolitan city.  But 9/11 changed things.  I asked Cathy to describe the day.

“I was a couple blocks away from the World Trade Center when the first plane hit, I had just gotten off the Staten Island Ferry and walked up to Bowling Green Subway station, just south of the Towers. The sky was a clear, perfect and crisp blue.  I saw something ethereal, like white birds circling the top of one of the towers but didn't understand what it was until I got to my office at Grand Central.  It was a long and emotional day and was total chaos after the first tower fell. I can still sense the smell that I smelled walking from Grand Central down to the Battery, probably 10 miles?  As I got closer, I saw people coming north from the mess, covered totally in ash. I lost some people that day.”

While her work as Chief Operating Officer at Marcus St. Jean continued, something had changed.  And who wasn’t changed by that day?   But being there!   Right at Ground Zero?  I can’t begin to imagine how traumatizing and transforming that event it could be in my life.

In 2007 Cathy went back to school and the City University of New York (CUNY).  Three years later she graduated with a master’s degree in Childhood Education.  I asked her why the sudden interest in education.  “9/11 was very moving for a lot of us in NYC, a sort of wake-up call to do something of value or meaningful. I decided to get my Masters in Childhood Education. Little did I know that by the time I graduated they were letting teachers go; and who would want a newbie 60-year-old. I really enjoyed student teaching at PS31 in Staten Island, loved my students and mentor teacher. 3^rd grade was fabulous.”

A question of balance?  I think it would be wrong to characterize Cathy as a ruthless businessperson, consumed with chasing success and the almighty dollar.  Quite the contrary she seemed to maintain a balance between her professional and personal lives.  In the 1980’s, after moving to New York City, she continued her childhood love of art.  “I shot B&W photo’s that I hand-colored. I participated in three group shows as Ashawaugh Hall (which is down the road from Jackson Pollack’s studio,) in the Springs, East Hampton, NY. I also participated in the annual East Hampton Guild Hall show.”

And she became a published author.  A Staten Island Ferry Tale was published in 2003 and is still available on Amazon.com (click on the name for the Amazon link).  “The idea came to me that most people or kids don’t realize what a career on the water means, what are the rules, etc. So, as I had the privilege of riding the Ferry in the Wheel House with the Captain and Assistant Captain, I started asking questions, then took a Boating safety class.”

Did I tell you she is a move producer? The Internet Movie Data Base (www.imdb.com) lists her as the producer for the 2012 film Willowbrook (again click on the link, and look for her in the “All cast & crew section”).  So how does one become a movie producer?  “I funded the movie, therefore I’m a producer…  I came across the film’s director on Go Fund Me. I was interested because Willowbrook became City University of NY, Staten Island where I was studying for my Masters.”  Willowbrook is a fascinating story, and you can read more about it HERE.

We can’t forget the physical fitness side of Cathy either.  She was, after-all, a cheerleader, and began college life as a physical education major.  And just how many of you can say you’ve been the catcher (or catchee) on the flying trapeze?

Moonlight in Old SAINT AUGUSTINE

In 2010 Cathy left Marcus St. Jean to pursue a position as a teacher.  But as stated previously, there were no jobs in teaching.  During her research for her Staten Island Ferry book, she met “Captain” Nick, who was to become her companion, her comrade-in-arms.  Nick had had been a Captain on the Staten Island Ferry and Deputy Director of the Ferries for the New York DOT.  Both he and she had had successful careers and several years of life in the Big City; it was time to move on. 

They chose St. Augustine, Florida as the next destination in the journey.  I asked her of all the places in the world, why St. Augustine?  “We wanted a place to retire that had opportunities for outdoor activities, either North or South.  We considered Maine or Florida.  St. Augustine was just a drive through, we never stopped, didn’t really know the history.  The city made an impression to me of Europe and had so many accesses to water.  We love to kayak and bike.  Maine would have been cross country skiing.”  Hmm, parka and long johns or bathing suit and sun?  And so, St. Augustine it was.

Most people look at retirement as a time to relax and enjoy all the things you couldn’t do while working.  Not so much with Cathy.  Two years after moving to St. Augustine, she accepted the position of Chair of Receiving, Lifetime Member of St. Augustine Art Association.  And if that wasn’t enough, in 2015 she took on a volunteer position as Secretary of the St. John’s County Library Advisory Board.

In these two positions, Cathy finds ways to stay involved but also express herself through her art.  “I got inspired to paint again, after some 30 years, by the call for Entries for the Ancient City Mosaic Art show to celebrate St. Augustine’s 450th year (in 2015).  Since then, I joined St. Augustine Art Association as a Life Member and I’m the Chair of Receiving for all shows and have helped administrate and execute the Art Association’s Plein Air Paint Out.  I have shown and sold my work in more than 30 of their juried shows as well as the Members Show.  Now I find that once I pick my subject, or it picks me, the paint just flows on the canvas and I sometimes can’t stop.  Most of my work in the last couple of years is mixed media and small, as my studio is tiny.”

AND FINALLY

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, Cathy comes from a large and very artistic family whose members began The Avery Foundation.  I asked Cathy to talk about how it came about, what it is, and what it does.

“The Avery Foundation was started by my youngest brother, Ron Avery, to honor my brother Jim Avery and sister Julie Avery, who both lost the battle with Cancer.  Julie died in 1982 and Jim in 2015.  I helped him set up the website and designed the logo.  I donate paintings to his fundraisers. In 2020 the Avery Foundation awarded 89 grants, giving over $98,000 to cancer patients and their families in the Tri-State area. These grants helped pay for gas, meals and hotel rooms and other unexpected expenses that the families should not have to worry about.”

Read more about The Avery Foundation at the links below.  And thank you Avery’s!

https://averyfndtn.org/  and  https://www.facebook.com/AveryFndtn/

FINAL THOUGHT?

“I really wanted to be a cheerleader; I didn’t make it my Junior year but made the Junior team for Senior year. Keep going, do your best, don’t listen to naysayers and go with your heart and let your spirit soar.”

FINAL WORDS?

Where can I find Cathy? https://www.facebook.com/averystjeanArt

Do you keep in touch with any classmates?  Not really, just FB.

How often do you make it back to Dubuque?  Only Funerals.

Beatles? Still love them, my car radio is always on Sirus Beatles, always.

Do you travel?  I traveled so much when working and when traveling was fun.  I absolutely HATE flying or traveling now.

With all the success, you must have some weakness.  I have a thing for very fine shoes; Prada, Chanel, Jimmy Cho, Gucci, Fendi, and Manolo Blahnik.  It’s a Cinderella thing.

Biggest accomplishments?  Painting something that someone I don’t even know wants to buy.

Looking forward to:  Staying healthy and active.

VERY FINAL LAST WORD?

The culottes punishment still pisses me off!