Lucille Bracy Cato

Lucille (Jessie lee) Bracy Cato, 84, of Charlotte North Carolina, beloved mother of four children, passed away in the company of “my two girls” on May 6, 2025, leaving a chasmic void her family cannot fill. Lucille was born in Bloomington, Illinois to S. Bracy and M. Hines (Dewey Richard). She partially grew up in Brooklyn Illinois (aka Lovejoy Illinois), in her early years, prior to the family moving to University City (St. Louis) Missouri. She attended Christ the King Catholic Private School and University City High School, both located on Balson Ave minutes away from her family’s home. Elementary education studies began at Lincoln University, prior to transferring to Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical and Normal College (AM&N), now called University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. She not only earned her B.A. degree at UAPB, but she also met and fell completely head-over-heels in love with, whom would one day become her WORLD and father of her children, husband John Edward Cato Sr. of Shelby County (Memphis)Tennessee. Lucille found her home church in Greater Mt. Sinai Baptist Church where she served years as a deaconess, usher, and Sunday school teacher. Mrs. Cato had a distinctive quality of passion for teaching, which was contagiously MAGNETIC. She was an avid reader and had a thirst for knowledge. Originating in Arkansas in 1966, Mrs. Cato’s illustrious 43-year career as an academically gifted and talented MASTER educator touched and transformed the lives of over one thousand scholars. She taught across all educational levels and voted Teacher of the Year three times within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System. She shared her educational philosophy in 1973-1976 Beverly Woods grade 5, 1976-2001 Barringer Academic Center grade 6, 2001-2002 Pinewood grades 3-5, 2002-2004 Druid Hills/University Park grades 2-5, 2004-2006 Long Creek grades 2-5 and 2009 Druids Hills/Pineville grades 2-5. Lucille’s intellectual expertise was often-times heavily relied upon within various departmental structures of CMS, as well as institutions abroad. She was a collaborative consultant and co-author of the Craft Comprehension Management Systems, DIBBLES, Junior Achievement Business Basics Manual, the CMS Promotion, Placement, and Retention Manual, the CMS Language Arts Manual and Workbook, the CMS “Beginning Teacher” support team and UNCC’s “The Teaching of Writing” conference. Momma LOVED WORKSHOPS! She was the primary instructor for workshops on Organizational Strategies for the Integration of Management and Instruction for Writing, Organizational Strategies for the Integration of Management and Instruction for Reading, and Organizational Strategies for the Integration of Management and Instruction for Language. Lucille B. Cato’s professional proficiencies were also beyond reproach as an Assistant Principal, Summer School Administrator, and Summer School Lead Teacher. Lucille was a member of the Interview Team for Elementary Principal ship, Evaluator for the Math and Language Arts Summer Project, Facilitator of the Career Development Program, Mentor of the Career #1 Forum Project, and Program developer for Public TV Access for the “Language Arts Project”. This Matriarchal Masterpiece was preceded in death by her parents, only sibling Rico Bracy Sr., eldest and sweetest son John Cato, Jr., best friend Glenda Rollins-Gaither, and is survived by son Quinton Wayne Cato (Jennifer) daughters Machelle Evette Cato, Yolanda Evette Cato, and beautiful-accomplished grandchildren.

Lucille Bracy Cato

May 25, 1940 - May 6, 2025