Catherine "Cathy" Sue Houghtby, age 68, of Springfield, Illinois passed away into eternal life after a short illness on March 31, 2024, at Lewis Memorial Christian Village in Springfield, IL. Family members were by her side.

Cathy was born in Litchfield, Illinois on October 19, 1955, to John and Mary (Vukelich) Green.  She was the youngest in her family and had five older brothers.

Cathy attended Holy Trinity Catholic School and graduated from Mount Olive High School.  She was also a graduate of Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield and completed additional paralegal studies at Lakeland Community College in Mattoon.

In 1991, Cathy married Jerry Houghtby. They later divorced and have remained dear friends through the years.

Cathy spent nearly four decades helping senior citizens throughout the state of Illinois.  In her early years, she worked for Senior Citizens Legal Services in Effingham, educating older adults about benefit programs and assisting with legal complaints. She also worked as a Coordinator with the Governor's Office of Senior Involvement, where she helped State Representative Josephine Oblinger respond to various issues affecting seniors, from medical services to housing.

For the last 25 years of her career, Cathy worked as a Senior Advocate and Special Events Coordinator for the Illinois Department on Aging, retiring in 2016. She was especially known for her role in coordinating activities in the Illinois State Fair Senior Center, located in the Illinois Building.  Working in partnership with senior groups across the state, as well as multiple state agencies and service groups, Cathy always brought energy and enthusiasm to her work and to everyone she touched.

Cathy's kind, caring, generous, and fun-loving spirt will be forever treasured by her family and friends.  She added spice to everyone's life and will be remembered as a "people person" who always knew how to make others feel good.

Cathy's parents preceded her in death, as did three of her brothers: John 'Jack' Green of Long Beach, California; James 'Beaver' Green of Mount Olive, Illinois; and William 'Bill' Green of Granite City, Illinois.

She is survived by two brothers, Frank Green of Tucson, Arizona and Charlie (Harriet) Green of Rochester, Minnesota, and many nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind many very dear friends, including a student at Springfield High School, Thomas Mansberger, who she loved and mentored for the last 17 years.

Cremation rites will be accorded by Premier Cremation Services. Though Cathy requested no funeral service, her family and friends are determined to continue celebrating her life by remembering all the goodness and love she brought to this earth.