Catherine Pregano Colombo

Catherine(Grandma Kate)Pregano-Colombo passed away June 25, 2010. Her family was number one in her life specifically her loving daughter Lisa and her four grandchildren - Nickolas, Jordan, Josef and Brianna. Toward the end of her life Grandma Kate lived with her daughter, son-in-law and family so that she could spend every waking moment with them. She adored her grandkids and spoke of the every chance that she had to everyone and anyone who would listen. She love to watch her grandsons play hockey and he granddaughters cheer at sporting events. Kate also lived each day and every day for her entire family including her brother Sam and his wife Kim and her many aunts, uncles, cousins and dear close friends. Kate loved many things in life including her Italian heritage, being American, jazz, big band and 50's and 60's music including Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennette, Nat King Cole and many more. Kate also loved old movies; everything from Singing in the Rain with Gene Kelly to the classics like Gone with the Wind and Robin Hood...she watched The Movie Channel religiously -- day after day. Kate loved food - Italian was her favorite - veal, pasta, olives and cheese...and deserts! Kate always was the last to leave the table taking a little bit of everything and saying, "I like to take my time and enjoy myself". Kate loved art - poetry and murels, statues and paintings. Kate loved the water and she loved to fish -- a perfect day for Kate would be spending time fishing with her grandchildren. Whether it was on her lake or the Great Lakes or the Ocean -- Kate loved to fish... Kate's was raised by Italian American parents, Pasquale (Charlie) and Grace Colombo both from Palermo, Sicily. She actually couldn't speak English her first day of school in Detroit. Kate attended Catholic School in her early years, graduated from Denby High School in Detroit and later received her degree in Accounting for The University of Michigan. She loved the maize and blue! Kate's professional career started in bookkeeping at Grey Advertising. Kate quickly moved through the ranks at Grey becoming a copywritter and later worked in account management. Kate worked on many major agency accounts including; Ford Motor Company, McDonald's and Bank of The Common Wealth. She moved from Grey to MARS Advertising where she became Senior Vice President running major pieces of business such as Chrysler, CBS Fox and WXYZ Channel 7. Finally Kate made the big move and opened her own advertising agency - PG Marketing. Kate built her business into being one of the largest Promotional Agencies in the country with clients like Gerber Baby Food, Technicolor Video Services, The Coffee Beanery and Wholesale Heating Cooling to name a few. Kate was most proud because her daughter Lisa and son-in-law Scott were key employees of her business both becoming Vice Presidents in later years. With all of her late nights and hard work in her professional career Kate always wished she could have them back to spend more time with her family - specifically her daughter Lisa. Kate will be remembered for her love of family, love of God, love of America, love of her Italian heritage, love of laughter and her overall love of life. Today Kate is sitting at a huge table in heaven with her parents, aunts, uncles, counsins and friends eating pasta and telling stories about her grandchildren and everyone is listening. Kate will be missed but never forgotten. A memorial service will be held in the near future. Arrangements entrusted to the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, Plymouth. Memorials may be made in lieu of flowers to the American Cancer Society 20450 Civic Center Drive Southfield, MI 48076.