Cathy Renee (McCarter) Tucker

               Cathy Renee Tucker (nee McCarter), age 64, of Crown Point, IN, entered Heaven’s gates on Tuesday evening, October 4, 2022. She was born May 29, 1958 on a U.S. Army base in Germany, and returned to the United States with her family later that year. Cathy was a loving and devoted wife & mother. She was raised in Hammond and Dyer, and graduated from Lake Central High School (1976), where she met her first husband, Eugene Johnson, whom she married November 17, 1983. They had a son, Bradley, in 1986. They moved to Crown Point that same year. Eugene preceded her in death in April of 1989.

                She met her second husband, Glenn Tucker, three years later while singing in choir at South Lake Church of the Nazarene, where they were both long time members. They married January 8, 1994, and had a daughter, Robin, one year later.

                After high school, Cathy attended Vincennes University for a year. She then began working several secretarial positions in downtown Chicago, including Pullman Railroad, Kemper Insurance, and Evan’s Furs. She became a stay-at-home mom when her son was born. After her first husband passed away, Cathy waitressed part-time at several local diners. Later, she went to work for the Lake Central School Corporation as a para-professional, then food service worker. Her last ten years were spent working for the Schererville Police Department as a school crossing guard along with her 2 yellow Labradors, Cooper & Sheldon. In addition to that, she worked as a customer service representative for Caribbean Pools in Schererville, a job she truly loved, as well as loving her co-workers.

                Cathy was actively involved in her church; singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School, working in the nursery, teaching crafts in Vacation Bible School, and cooking for funeral dinners. She was a faithful alumnus of Lake Central High School, attending basketball & football games, theater productions, and choir concerts. She was an avid fan of stock car races at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, which led to her interest in NASCAR racing. She also became an enthusiast of Professional Bull Riding, for which she traveled around the Midwest to attend events.

                When Cathy’s daughter was born with Down syndrome and autism, she learned all she could about those conditions, and became her daughter’s greatest advocate for healthcare, education, social acceptance, inclusion, and employment opportunities. In doing so, she became actively involved in several special needs organizations, but mostly in the Down Syndrome Association of Northwest Indiana. For many years, she and her husband directed social activities for the adult participants in a group known as S.M.I.L.E. She organized bowling outings, trips to the races, hayrides, yoga & Zumba classes, and an annual Christmas Pizza Party, among other events. She loved each and every one of her “kids”, as she called them, and prayed daily for them and their families.

                Cathy is survived by her husband, Glenn Tucker, her son & daughter-in-law, Brad & Carri Johnson, her daughter Robin, her brother Don (Thomasia) McCarter, her best friend Shirley (Dan) Bond, her step-father Ken Sanasack, mother-in-law Renate Tucker, nephews, nieces, in-laws, and a large extended family. She is preceded by her parents, Larry & Connie (Sanasack) McCarter, and father-in-law Earl Tucker, as well as grandparents, uncles and aunts. She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Eugene Johnson, his parents, Norman & Esther Johnson, and his sister, Charlotte Temple.

                A service to celebrate the life of Cathy Tucker will be on Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 10:30 am at South Lake Church of the Nazarene 7355 Lincoln Highway (US 30) Crown Point, IN. There will be a luncheon to follow.

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