Catherine Ann (Jeanney) Stanford

April 5, 1945 - May 15, 2024

RENO — Catherine Ann (Jeanney) Stanford, a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away on May 15, 2024, at age 79.
Born in Gulfport, Mississippi, on April 5, 1945, to Robert Louis Jeanney and Angelina (Isola) Jeanney while stationed in the service.
Catherine was raised in Winnemucca, Nevada, with two younger brothers, Joe and Bill. She enjoyed the small-town life and the outdoors, a wonderful family, good times, and many friendships.
Catherine attended Humboldt High School and graduated in 1963. She was a member of the renowned Buckarettes, worked at the Star Broiler as a hostess, entered and won the Miss Winnemucca pageant and competed in Miss Nevada.
After that, Catherine briefly attended UNR, then worked for law offices and the BLM as a secretary.
Catherine married John Stanford in 1966, had their first son (Andrew) in 1967, and moved to Reno/Sparks permanently in 1969, where she would have her second son (Blaine) in 1970.
They made a beautiful home in the Virginia Foothills subdivision in 1975, where she and John would raise their children and spend their lives.
Catherine considered raising her two boys to be her greatest accomplishment.
Catherine worked at several law offices over the years, including Bruce Bowen, John Hawkins, and Steve Dallinger. She worked with a fantastic group of people before retiring in the mid-2000s.
Catherine was a lifelong learner. She loved reading and history.
She learned to play classical piano and speak Italian and some French fluently.
Catherine returned to school in her late thirties and graduated from the University of Nevada in 1991 alongside her son (Andrew) with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in History and minoring in Music Theory.
Catherine practiced her Catholic faith, attending mass frequently, following the teachings of Christ, and being both non-judgmental and open-minded.
Catherine was very kind and caring and saw beauty and potential in everyone. She was a sensitive soul who looked at the world with great empathy.
Catherine was a fervent animal lover. She enjoyed spoiling her dogs and adopted many over the years. She called them "her little children that never grow up."
Catherine was an outstanding cook, mastering cultural cuisine and carrying on the traditional menu of her Italian heritage.
Catherine loved traveling, especially to Italy, Ireland, Hawaii, the Western U.S., and the wine country; she and John also took many cruises.
As a fourth-generation Nevadan, she considered the Nevada landscape her home and loved spending time at her property in Lamoille.
Catherine had an active life with her family: skiing, water-skiing, fishing, camping, enjoying the peace of the outdoors, gardening, and taking long walks.
Still, she was mainly concerned with the well-being of others. Catherine was the guiding light of her family; she is greatly missed and will never be forgotten.
Catherine is preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Angie Jeanney.
She is survived by John Stanford, Andrew Stanford (Melissa Longoni), Blaine Stanford (Tina Thompson), Siena Stanford, Elisabeth Stanford, Joseph Jeanney (Sergio), William Jeanney (Lisa), Diana Martini (Dino), Juanita Ydiando, many nieces, nephews, cousins, and her dog, Daisy.
A mass was said in Catherine's honor at St. Mary's of the Mountains in Virginia City on June 30, 2024.