Obituary of Catherine Mary Phalen

Catherine “Kay” Mary (Keane) Phalen, 78, of Ventura, CA, passed peacefully from complications due to cancer on April 24, 2019.

Catherine’s visitation will be held from 5:00p.m. to 9:00p.m. on Tuesday, April 30^th at Rose Family Mortuary in Simi Valley, CA, with a Rosary taking place at 7:00p.m. The Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00a.m. on Wednesday, May 1^st at St. John Eudes Catholic Church in Chatsworth, CA. Interment will immediately follow the funeral at Oakwood Memorial Park and Cemetery.

Catherine was born in Manhattan, N.Y. on November 8, 1940 and was the beloved only child of John and Bridget Keane. She attended St. Angela Merici in The Bronx, where she met Francis (Frank), the love of her life. Catherine graduated from Ursuline Academy and she and Frank married soon after.

Catherine and Frank enjoyed 59 years of marriage, and they shared many adventures while creating a lasting legacy together. Catherine devoted her life to her faith and her family, providing unconditional love and support to her eight children, nineteen grandchildren, and one great grandchild. Catherine made friends with everyone she came into contact with and excitedly shared photos and stories about her kids and grandkids to anyone who would listen, especially her car wash customers. Never forgetting her roots, she was a proud Irish Catholic from The Bronx and faithfully cheered on the N.Y. Yankees. Catherine loved to entertain, play bingo, raise animals, bargain shop, watch game shows, and celebrate all things Irish.

Catherine will be greatly missed by countless family and friends on the east and west coasts. She is reunited with her parents in eternal life and is survived by her husband Frank; her children and their spouses Maureen and Matt Wheeler, Frank Jr. and Connie Phalen, John and Bridget Phalen, Kevin Phalen and Sarah Nishida, Cathy and Joe Fabian, Carol and Tom Molnar, Monique Phalen, and Jeanne Marie and Bill King; her grandchildren Andrew and Dina Wheeler, Sean Wheeler,  Meaghan Wheeler, Patrick Phalen, Michael Phalen, Luke Phalen, Brady Phalen, Fiona Phalen, Thomas Phalen, Hannah Phalen, Scott Fabian, Brian Fabian, Erin Fabian, Kate Molnar, Colleen Molnar, Claire Molnar, Liam King, Bridget King, Baby King due in May; and her great grandchild Clifton Wheeler.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to cancer research under the direction of Omid Hamid, MD and Kamalesh Kumar Sankhala, MD at The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai.

Please note that the gift is in memory of Catherine Phalen - Melanoma Fund #225740

~Gifts may be made online at https://giving.cedars-sinai.edu/make-a-gift

~Check donations made payable to Cedars-Sinai should be mailed to:

Cedars-Sinai Community Relations & Development

Attn:  Laura Asok

8700 Beverly Blvd., Room 2416

Los Angeles, CA  90048