A Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Friday July 14, 2023, at St. Margaret Catholic Church, 2500 Enterprise Blvd in Lake Charles. Interment services will follow at Consolata Cemetery. Visitation Thursday will be from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. with a Rosary prayer service beginning at 6 p.m. at in the Chapel of Johnson Funeral Home, 4321 Lake Street in Lake Charles. Father Matthew Cormier will officiate.

Catherine, who passed away on July 9 at the age of 96, was fondly known as “Kitty” to her friends and family, and as “Nonna” to her loving grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was proud of her Sicilian heritage and was devoted to her family and her Catholic faith. She was born in New Orleans on July 7, 1927, and raised there until she moved with her husband to Lake Charles, where they became lifelong friends with Camille and John Timpa, and Eugenia and Secondo DiCarlo. Her home always served as the center of all family and holiday functions, and she was admired by her family and friends for her cooking ability. Her family was gifted with full meals from salads to desserts every day. After her three boys were grown, the family would still gather on Sundays to spend time together and share a wonderful meal. Her incomparable spaghetti and meatballs will be sorely missed! 

Kitty was mostly a stay-at-home mom, but she did spend some time working retail at Sears, Service Merchandise, and JC Penney. She supported her family in their activities and attended many, many baseball games which sometimes involved traveling. She attended her grandchildren’s baseball, softball, volleyball games, dance recitals, choir concerts, and any other activities that she could. Being the only woman in a household of five, she grew accustomed to the constant sports on tv and joined in to yell for McNeese, LSU, and the Saints.

During her sixty-six years as a faithful and involved parishioner of St. Henry’s Catholic Church, Kitty served in many different volunteer capacities. She was a lay minister, a member of the Altar Society, and an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and regularly brought Communion to the sick and home bound. 

She was preceded in death by her husband of 71 years, Eugene “Jack” Eccles and parents, Jacob Polito and Kathryn Viola Polito.

She leaves to cherish her memory, three sons, David Eccles & wife Rebecca of Baton Rouge, La., Stephen Eccles & wife Dawn Eccles of Lake Charles, La. and Daniel Eccles & wife Wendy of Lake Charles, La.; eleven grandchildren, Mary Vath & husband Richard and Melissa Eccles, all of Baton Rouge, La., Stephanie Eccles of Los Angeles, Ca., Stephen Eccles, Michael Eccles & wife Jordan and Kristen Eccles all of Lake Charles, La., Caitlin Cook & husband Andrew Cook of Fort Worth, Texas, Jacob Eccles, Zachary Eccles, Sarah Eccles and Julia Eccles, all of Lake Charles, La.; four great grandchildren, Christopher Vath of Baton Rouge, La., Anderson Cook of Fort Worth, Texas, Eliza Grace Cook of Fort Worth, Texas and Dianna Reese Eccles of Lake Charles, La. and one sister, Patricia Varisco & husband Vincent of Lacombe, La.

The family wishes to thank the caretakers at Memorial Hospital and the administrators, staff, and friends at Villa Maria for their love, friendship and support, especially to Camille Timpa, her friend of 65 years.

Words of comfort to the family may be expressed at www.johnsonfuneralhome.net.