Obituary of Catherine Stalter

CATHERINE STALTER

Catherine “Cathi” Stalter (née Dunderman), 76, passed away peacefully on December 29, 2023 in Stamford, CT.  Born March 27, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York, Cathi was the cherished daughter and youngest of four children to the late Walter H. Dunderman and Margaret E. Dunderman (née Doyle).

She is survived by her son, Steven M. Fortunato (Lisa); her daughter, Dianne K. Braatz (née Fortunato); and her children through marriage: Linda J. Ritter (John), Daniel W. Stalter, Jr (Caryn). In addition, she was the adored grandmother of Thomas, Eva, and Elizabeth Fortunato; Amanda and Toby Braatz; Alex Nuñez; and through marriage, “CathiGram” to JR Ritter (Danielle), Cody Ritter (Robin Delaney), and Emily Glenn (Amy); Courtney James (Jesse), Daniel Stalter III (Nicole), and Hannah Stalter. She was also blessed with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends, including her dear, lifelong friends, Diane Morton and Anne Hyland.

Cathi is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Daniel W. Stalter; her three brothers, Walter J. Dunderman, John J. Dunderman, and Robert J. Dunderman; and her son through marriage, Edwin Stalter.

She attended St. Rose of Lima Elementary School and graduated from St. Brendan Diocesan High School in Brooklyn. She married John A. Fortunato (deceased) in 1966 and relocated to Englewood Cliffs, NJ where she became very active in the community. She was a paramedic for the Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and worked as a school crossing guard before establishing her career with State Farm Insurance in Jersey City, NJ as an administrator and agent.

She was also very dedicated to her parish at Holy Trinity R.C. Church in Fort Lee, NJ where she and John ran the Youth Group in the late 1970’s and into the 1980’s – which provided a wonderful, safe gathering for the teens of the parish and their friends to engage in fellowship, retreat, community events, and field trips.

She enjoyed camping and fishing throughout her life and cherished many family vacations to Cherrystone Campground on the Chesapeake Bay in Cheriton, VA.

Cathi married her longtime friend, Daniel, in 2002. They lived in Highland Lakes, NJ, with their beloved pup Chessie Girl at their side. She was heartbroken by Danny’s unexpected passing in 2005. She relocated to Stamford, CT in 2013 where she resided for the remainder of her life.

Cathi courageously battled ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) up until her passing.

The family will receive their friends on Sunday, January 7 from 3-6 pm at the Frank A. Patti and Kenneth Mikatarian Funeral Home, 327 Main Street "opposite the Fort Lee Library". The celebration of her funeral mass will be  Monday, January 8 at 11:00 am at Holy Trinity R.C. Church, Fort Lee, For condolences, directions, or information call (201) 944-0100 or  www.frankpatti.com

In Lieu of Flowers, donations may be made in Catherine’s name to:

Compassionate Care ALS (CCALS) - supports people diagnosed with ALS, their families, healthcare providers, and communities providing resources including equipment, educational opportunities, insurance and Medicare assistance, guidance, and awareness.  

Log onto https://ccals.org/

Project ALS – identifies and funds the most promising scientific and medical research that will lead to the first effective treatments and a cure for ALS recruiting the world’s best scientists and doctors to develop a better understanding of the ALS disease process and better therapeutic strategies.                                                                                                   Log onto https://projectals.org/