Cathy Watterson – Sadly passed away on 2nd April 2025 aged 71.

Cathy joined the Wrens in 1975 and was on the first TSA (Training Support Assistant) course at RNSETT HMS Nelson. HMS Osprey was to be her first draft, fun but a fairly short period of time before she returned to RNSETT on the staff. Commissioned in 1978 her first appointment was HMS DAUNTLESS as the Sports & Education Officer and Transport Officer. Whilst still at DAUNTLESS in April 1979 she was sent on 3 months detached duties in Hong Kong as the ASOO at the height of the illegal immigrant and Vietnamese boat people crisis.

In 1980 she became the Correspondence Officer of HMS CHURCHILL whilst the submarine was in refit in Chatham Dockyard.

In 1982 just before the Falklands War broke out, she was appointed to RM EASTNEY Barracks as the Assistant Corps Secretary and was also Command WRNS Sports Officer.

In 1983 a new appointment as Schools’ Liaison Officer in the West Midlands, based in Birmingham.

During her 8-year Commission Cathy was also the RN Women’s Hon Sec for .22 Rifle shooting. Just prior to leaving the Service she was fortunate to complete a Merchant Navy Exchange on a ro-ro out of Felixstowe bound for Helsinki via the Kiel Canal.Cathy left the service in July 1986 and took a brief sojourn with a High Street recruiting agency prior to joining the Corps of Commissionaires based in Birmingham as the Deputy Manager.

Cathy was to become Manager & Regional Manager in this role, then 2 moves of home later was invited in 1996 to set up Service Connections as a division of the Corps specifically as a commercial recruiting agency specialising in managerial and technical staff, initially in Bracknell then moving to Winchester.

In 2001, after nearly 14 years with the Corps she decided that the time was right to launch herself as an Independent Career Development Consultant. As well as working with individuals on their CV’s and Career Management she did a large amount of work for other Consultancies’ Outplacement and travelled the country and overseas on short term assignments.

In 2008 at the age of 55 Cathy moved home, to Scotland to spend more time looking after her mother; during this period, she took on short term assignments which included team Leader on the National Census. She was however to always miss the freedom and independence of being an Outplacement Consultant!

At 58 she became a full-time Carer to her Mum and supplemented her private pension by doing aromatherapy massage.  Sadly, her mum passed away in 2017.

Cathy’s’ main interests in later life were gardening, keep fit, walking and latterly more international travel with her cousin.

Cathy sadly passed away on 2nd April 2025 aged 71.