COLUMBIA — John Sloan Cathcart, 88, of Columbia, SC,
passed away peacefully in his sleep Saturday, October 20, 2007, at
Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community in West Columbia.
Born May 13, 1919, in Columbia, he was the son of the late James
Armstrong Cathcart and Ann Whitner Sloan Cathcart. He resided in
Columbia all of his life except for his junior year of high school
when he lived in New York City and his deployment in Europe during
WW II. After graduating from Columbia High in 1937, Mr. Cathcart
attended the University of South Carolina. He joined the South
Carolina National Guard in 1939. He served in World War II and in
1941 was deployed in Europe as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne
and saw combat in both France and Germany. After returning home from
the war, he continued to serve in the South Carolina National Guard
and retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1971.
In 1946 Mr. Cathcart followed in his father's footsteps by
reopening Cathcart Insurance Agency, a business his father had
founded. Cathcart Insurance was prominent and well-known in
Columbia, offering all types of insurance from life and health to
auto and homeowners. He presided over Cathcart Insurance Agency for
a full 52 years until his retirement in 1998. He was also a member
of the Masons and a Commander in the Columbia American Legion.
In his youth Mr. Cathcart was an avid baseball player and boxer. He
was a lifelong avid fisherman and was happiest when sitting in a
boat fishing for
bass, bream and crappie |
among the cypress groves and swamps of Santee Cooper.
He loved people and often stated that people are the most important
thing in this world.
John was a devout Christian, had a strong faith in God and lived
his life accordingly. He was a faithful member of Trinity Episcopal
Church in the early part of his life and of First Presbyterian
Church in the later years of his life. He was dearly loved by his
family and will be sorely missed for his integrity, positive
outlook, adventurous spirit, keen sense of humor and his exemplary
generosity. He was a true gentleman.
In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by an older
brother, James Armstrong Cathcart, Jr. and an older sister, Mrs.
Samuel Todd (Jane Beverley Cathcart). He is survived by his first
wife, Jane Miller Cathcart of Charlottesville, VA, and their four
children, John Sloan Cathcart, Jr. of Pottstown, PA, David Byrd
Cathcart of Charlottesville, VA, Robert Beverley Cathcart of
Charlottesville, VA, and Jane Beverley Cathcart Tarika of Fairfield,
CT. He is also survived by nine grandchildren, Emily, Peter, Sallie,
Scott and Ann Cathcart of Charlottesville, VA, and Alex, Sarah,
Christopher and Max Tarika of Fairfield, CT. He is also survived by
an older sister, Mrs. Robert McCaskill (Katherine Cathcart) of
Columbia, a younger sister, Mrs. T.B. Fersner (Ann Cathcart) of
Orangeburg, SC, and a younger brother, William Richard Cathcart of
Columbia. He is also survived by his second wife, Mary Frances
Cathcart of Columbia, to whom he was married at the time of his
death. |
[courtesy of Sam Murray] Grave marker for
John S. Cathcart in Elmwood Memorial Gardens, Columbia (Richland
county), South Carolina.
John enlisted in the Army on 19 May 1938 and was
discharged on 2 January 1941 to accept a commission as a second
lieutenant.
On 1 March 1945, 2/Lt Cathcart was transferred
from the 11th Replacement Depot to Hq 3rd, 508th PIR.
He was subsequently transferred to the 13th
Airborne Division on 31 May 1945
In the years following the war, then acting as a
reservist, he was promoted to First Lieutenant on 10 February 1946,
Captain on 5 April 1949, and Major on 25 June 1958. His date
of elevation to Lt. Col. is unknown. |
